


Tender Loving Care

by Kiaya



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Adorable Cat and Corgi, Alternate Universe - Non-Immortal (The Old Guard), Child Death, Doctor Nicky, Drownings, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Acting Like a Married Couple, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, M/M, Meddling Friends, Migrant crisis, PTSD, Pets, Porn with Feelings, Refugees, SUPER domestic, Soulmate AU, The Old Guard Big Bang 2021, Therapy, veterinarian Joe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:35:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 38,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29774907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiaya/pseuds/Kiaya
Summary: Nicky is a burned out doctor who needs a vacation. Lucky for him, his friend Nile asks him to pet/housesit while she is on her honeymoon. Surely it can’t be that hard to look after a dog and a cat? But when things go hilariously wrong, Nicky calls the number left by Nile for any emergencies and Dr. Yusuf al-Kaysani picks up the phone. But maybe this veterinarian can help more than just the pets? A modern romance with cuddly animals and love at first sight!
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Quynh | Noriko, Booker | Sebastien le Livre/Nile Freeman, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 104
Kudos: 264
Collections: The Old Guard Big Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not have done this without the help and generosity of so many friends. Special shout out to [Gness](https://gryzdolnik.tumblr.com/) for being my amazing artist for The Old Guard Big Bang 2021 and Isa for being my Super Hero beta reader. Also much thanks to Anna Rita and Felicity for reading this first chapter and encouraging me.
> 
> I have done a lot of research to write this portion but I am only human. If I have depicted anything incorrectly, please let me know and I will fix it. I have included tags but just in case you missed them, there are some scenes that might be triggering. Please stay safe and take care.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Nicky?"

He looked up from packing his bag to see his sister's face tight with worry. Gianna was sitting on his bed, watching him gather the last of the belongings he needed. "Yes, I'm sure. I've thought about it a lot and I can't just sit by and do nothing. You've seen the news. It's getting worse."

Gianna twisted a lock of her hair between her fingers. She knew Nicky was right. Everyone in their family had been glued to the TV watching as the refugee situation in the Mediterranean got more perilous by the day. Reports of drownings made the news regularly and there was a fierce ongoing debate all across Italy on how to solve the crisis. Sadly, there didn't seem to be a lot of consensus on the answer.

"It just feels so sudden," said Gianna, still concerned. "Last time you decided to do something on impulse, you left for four years to do your medical residency in the United States." 

Nicky grinned and tucked an extra phone charger into the bag. "That wasn't impulsive! I thought about all my options and that was the most interesting one. You weren't complaining when you came to visit me."

Gianna hated to admit it but that was true. Some of her best memories of summer vacations were visiting Nicky during his residency. His roommates Nile, Andy and Quynh were the coolest people she had ever met. Even though Nile and Andy were just as busy as Nicky with their insane hospital hours, they had taken the time to make her feel welcome. Quynh, Andy's wife, was the most glamorous person Gianna had ever met and they still talked regularly through text. 

"Well, that's different," pouted Gianna. She picked at the well worn blanket on Nicky's bed. "That was moving to another city. This is you spending a year or more on a rescue boat! There could be storms! Rogue waves! Pirates!"

Nicky snorted in laughter. He watched Gianna frown harder so he raised his hands up in a gesture of comfort. "I'm grateful for your concern. Really, I am. But I signed up with Doctors Without Borders _because_ they are so experienced in these matters. I wish the world didn't need them but people are dying and I refuse to stand on the sidelines."

She recognized the tone Nicky was using. People thought of Nicky as kind and easy going, which was true, but underneath that mild exterior he had a stubborn streak that was famous within their extended family. If he believed in something he wholly committed to it and followed through. She remembered the time one of their neighbors called Nicky a mouse; the older lady had looked confused when Gianna scoffed at such a misconception. 

"Okay, then how is Emilio taking this?" 

Nicky's hand stopped moving for a second before resuming packing. "Emilio was not very enthused. We broke up." He pursed his lips in thought. "Well, I guess it's more accurate to say he dumped me."

"What? He dumped you?"

"It's really okay. We've been having problems for a while anyways."

Gianna was secretly glad that they had broken up but she wasn't going to voice that out loud. Emilio had always struck her as an opportunistic prick; he was always complaining about Nicky's long hours in the emergency room but didn't mind bragging about his "Doctor" boyfriend online. Nicky was useless with social media so he never saw the obnoxious posts that Emilio made. _Good riddance_ , she thought.

"It might be for the best. Trying to keep up a long distance relationship is tough, or so I've been told."

"Oh really? Who told you that?" Nicky asked.

"Our moms."

He choked a bit at her reply. Nicky knew she wasn’t referring to their biological mother. Andy and Quynh insisted numerous times that Nicky was their long lost son (even though he was only a few years younger than Andy and actually older than Quynh) and so Gianna had been included in this mythical adoption. It always warmed his heart how much his friends cared about his sister, except for when they all banded together against him, which happened more than he wanted to admit.

“So what are you going to do with your apartment and all your stuff?” She looked around the room and gestured to the piles of boxes. There was barely any furniture or belongings left. It's not that Nicky didn't appreciate nice things but he didn’t have a strong sense of materialism. Spoiling others was fine but he didn’t put much thought into it when it came to himself. Probably why Emilio had lasted as long as he did. That man liked being spoiled and Nicky had indulged him.

“The lease is up in a week and I have everything I want to keep in storage. The rest is headed to charity.” Nicky taped a box closed and wrote a label on top for the content. “After my contract is done, I can figure out settling down again.”

It seemed Nicky had everything figured out. Gianna knew it was a done deal but she was still struggling. She wanted to be supportive. Maybe at the end of the day she was just going to miss him no matter how good his reasons were. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she tried to hide it behind her hands, but it was futile because Nicky noticed right away.

“Oh, Gianna,” he said as he sat beside her on the bed. He pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair as she cried. “It’s going to be just fine.The training was really thorough and my crew members are excellent. We’ll have satellite linkage so I am literally a button away. You can call, text, you name it. And we won’t be on the water the whole time.” He hugged her harder as she started hiccuping. 

“I know! But I’m still going to miss you.” She buried her face into his broad shoulder and felt the warmth of his arms. Some siblings fought like cats and dogs but she had always idolized her brother. In her mind there was no one who was as kind and good as him. 

“I’ll miss you too,” said Nicky. His voice was fond and full of affection. “You gotta keep an eye on Mom and Dad for me. Who knows what trouble they’ll get into without me nagging at them.”

“That reminds me,” Gianna laughed as she wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve. “Mom wants to try yoga and she’s making Dad come with her.”

Nicky grimaced in horror. “I’m glad I won’t be here to watch that catastrophe play out.”

Gianna laughed and flung her arms around Nicky one more time.

********************

  
  


The first few days were a bit nerve-wracking, which was par for the course when adjusting to a new job. 

His sea legs established themselves on the third day, which was a blessing. Henri, the captain of the Pisces, complimented him on how quickly he overcame his sea sickness. Nicky wanted to pat himself on the back but whenever the waves got really choppy he still felt a bit green under the gills. He hoped that would go away fully sooner rather than later.

One of the things that Nicky loved about his crew was how international it was. Henri was from the Netherlands. Marie, the main rescue coordinator was from France. Ahmed, one of their translators who spoke six different languages and several more dialects, was from Libya. And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Nicky was glad that he had acquired experience working with people from many backgrounds while studying abroad. The last few years in a busy emergency room in Rome were also coming in handy. Nicky was sure his ability to think fast and stay calm under pressure would carry him through. 

Every day was different, some being slower than others. It amazed Nicky how much thought had gone into designing the ship and the procedures needed for a smooth operation. The level of preparedness and creativity in working with limited space and resources was astounding.

The one constant was the flow of desperate humanity that they would find floating on ramshackle boats. No matter how many times he witnessed it, Nicky could never get over the atrocities. Stories of torture, forced labor, imprisonment and rape were common. It broke his heart how much tragedy and an uncertain future they had to endure even after rescue. Nicky was not ashamed to admit that there were nights he cried in his room, seeing the very physical evidence of their pain on their bodies. 

Despite the emotional toil, he settled into a rhythm with the rest of the crew. As he had promised to Gianna, he was in regular contact with his family and friends. He especially enjoyed the Zoom sessions with Andy and Quynh’s twins, their exuberant nature energizing him even on hard days. His loved ones still worried but he assured them that the work was meaningful and every life they saved gave him deep satisfaction.

Perhaps that was the problem. That comfortability. They had seen mass casualty events and death was always waiting close by, but if anyone still had breath in their bodies, Nicky had successfully treated them. This had made him too confident… or at least that’s how he cursed himself, angry and despairing, when he thought about the event that precipitated his breakdown. 

  
  


********************

  
  


They spotted the rubber boat around noon. 

Even from a distance they could tell it was overcrowded. Henri estimated at least 100 people on board but possibly more. After a quick consultation between Nicky and Marie, they were soon boarding the RHIB, a smaller vessel, to assess the situation.

As they got closer, Ahmed started shouting out to the refugees in a few different languages. He informed them that they were from a rescue organization. The tight faces of the people onboard the dilapidated boat loosened slightly at this news. 

Nicky looked sideways at Marie, his face neutral to not alarm any of the people. “I don’t see a lot of life vests. How many do we have with us?”

Marie grimaced ever so slightly. “Not enough for everyone. We’ll need to prioritize those who can’t swim first. Let’s triage this quickly so it won’t be an issue.”

Several of the passengers were speaking to Ahmed in Arabic. Nicky could catch a few words here and there but it was still challenging. On his off hours he had asked Ahmed to teach him some common phrases to better communicate with his patients. There was no way to learn all the different dialects and expressions but he wanted to do everything he could to connect with them. 

Nicky asked if there was anyone that needed immediate treatment. Ahmed turned back and repeated Nicky’s question. The conversation went back and forth as Marie and the rest of the small crew carefully distributed life jackets.

They shouted back that there were some women and children who were in bad shape. That left Nicky with a difficult choice. Did he contact the Pisces and try for a mass transfer? Or should he board and provide immediate assistance? 

This was the tricky part. Usually the boats that they encountered were not in the best shape. They took on water and fuel leaks were prevalent. It was always a risk for Nicky or any of his staff to go onboard to assess. One wrong move and panic could sweep through the boat, destabilizing the weight of people and resulting in the vessel being capsized. They had come across more than one rubber boat adrift, upside down and empty of people.

As he wrestled with his options, he chose to get on the boat. If children were in danger, time was of the essence. Any major health issues could kill a child faster than an adult and Nicky did not want to take that chance. 

Slowly, he put his foot on the rim of the boat. The men sitting there shifted to make room for his presence. Nicky carefully made his way to the center of the craft to see what he needed to do. The problem became obvious quickly.

The weight of the people had sunk the middle of the rubber raft and water had settled in. The women and children were standing, some with water up to their waist. The smallest ones were held in their mothers’ arms so that they wouldn’t drown, but that had not prevented the fuel burns that covered their bodies. Nicky hissed under his breath when he saw the giant blisters and bloody patches of skin on all of them. The burns were excruciatingly painful but the women and children were silent, staring at him with terror filled eyes.

He gestured with his hands and said a few words of comfort. He promised them that everything would be fine now, that they were here to help and would they mind if he could take a look.

One by one, the women brought themselves and their children closer for his inspection. The boat shifted and Nicky tensed as the barely seaworthy craft jostled with their movement. He started triaging the worst cases and identifying who needed to be seen the quickest. There was one particular child whose burns looked extensive and Nicky was eager to get him back on the main ship. He murmured softly to comfort the young boy.

He looked behind him and spotted Marie. “Contact the Pisces. We have at least 20 here, women and children of varying ages with fuel burns and dehydration. We need to transfer them immediately.”

She nodded in understanding. She waved at the crew to keep working as she talked into the radio strapped to her vest. Nicky turned back to the passengers to keep assessing who needed the most help. He took out a hydration pack from his pocket and pressed it against a child's chapped lips.

That’s when he heard the distant sound of a motor. All heads turned around and saw another boat approaching quickly. The size and make of the boat, along with the flag, signaled to everyone who was approaching. It was the Libyan coast guard and they had spotted the rubber craft.

Nicky only had a moment to scoop up a child into his arms before everything went to hell. The refugees panicked at the sight of the other boat. If the coast guard caught them, they would be dragged back to the countries they had escaped and imprisoned. The rubber craft started to rock violently as people jumped into the water and tried to climb aboard the smaller rescue vessel.

He could hear Ahmed yelling, telling the passengers to calm down but it all fell on deaf ears. With a sickening lurch, the boat tipped and bodies started hitting the water. Nicky wrapped his arms even tighter around the child, determined to save him no matter what happened. Unfortunately, they had not finished distributing the life vests before everyone ended up in the ocean.

Nicky was a good swimmer. Combined with the fact that he _was_ wearing a life vest, he figured his chances were good. But the utter chaos and panic of the people in the water was a shock to his system. Desperate hands were scrabbling to get a purchase on his body. He wasn’t sure if they didn’t know how to swim or were simply scared, but his bright orange vest was a beacon to the others around him.

He tried to shout for everyone to calm down. That the crew would throw them life jackets and they would be rescued. No one was listening and Nicky kept getting grabbed and pulled under the cold water over and over again. The salty liquid filled his throat and he choked while he held onto the screaming child against his chest.

Suddenly, strong arms grabbed him from behind and wrapped around Nicky’s neck. He couldn’t breath and tried to dislodge the hold around his throat. In the midst of their struggle, Nicky lost his grip on the young boy and watched in horror as the small body was tossed into the waves.

 _No! No!_

He screamed in his head as his hand desperately tried to reach into the water. The person who was using Nicky as a human floatation device wrapped their legs around his waist and held on. With a fury that Nicky had never felt in his life, he slammed his elbow back and felt the crack of bone as he made contact. The limbs wrapped around him loosened and Nicky threw the other person off, trying to reach the child.

It was too late. He couldn’t see the child in the water. His life vest made it impossible for him to dive and he was still surrounded by other flailing bodies. It was pure chaos. More people grabbed onto Nicky, their panic overriding the logic that their continued thrashing was threatening to drown them both. Many times Nicky thought this was going to be the end of him.

Marie and the rest of the crew were frantically pulling people out of the water. When the Pisces finally arrived, they were able to put down multiple ladders into the water for people to climb on to. Between the two boats, the rescue efforts were relatively fast although it felt like a lifetime to the people struggling in the water.

Nicky was still half drowned and disoriented when someone managed to grab the handle on his life vest and pull him up. A silver emergency blanket was quickly placed around him as Nicky watched the crew start resuscitation efforts. The luckier passengers who had gotten a life vest fared better and they were all sitting on the deck, also covered in blankets.

_Come on, Nicky. You need to get up. You need to help._

The small voice in his mind was disapproving, but Nicky couldn’t stop shaking. It felt like the water had sapped all the warmth from his limbs and his brain. So instead he had sat there, a puddle of cold water around his battered self as his glazed eyes took in the swift movements of people. 

Then Henri showed up. The captain took one look at Nicky’s devastated face and his eyes turned soft with sadness. Henri tucked the blanket tighter around his exhausted body. He looked into Nicky’s stormy sea colored eyes and squeezed his shoulders to comfort him.

“Do not blame yourself. This was out of your hands.”

Nicky pressed his lips together in a thin line. He knew that Henri meant well but he didn’t believe it. Choking down his despair, he shook his head and muttered that he needed to join the medical team. The captain tried to dissuade him but he got up with a new purpose. Nicky started by separating the patients who needed immediate care. He went on autopilot, talking and moving his body in all the necessary ways.

Nicky’s eyes kept scanning the deck, hoping that the little boy was there somewhere. There were a lot of people and maybe he had been safely taken aboard. He kept a silent prayer in his mind that such a miracle would be so.

He was still helping the women and children wash off the fuel residue on their bodies when one woman started talking to him frantically. She was speaking too fast and he couldn’t make out her words. He waved to Ahmed so that he could get some assistance.

As the woman started talking, Ahmed’s face drained of color. His eyes kept shifting quickly to Nicky and then back to her. She was pointing at Nicky, getting more animated in her gestures.

“Ahmed, what is she saying?” 

“Ah, well… she’s…” Ahmed looked away and his face was torn with indecision.

Nicky put his hands on the other man’s shoulders and gripped firmly. “Please. Tell me what she is saying.”

Tears started pooling in Ahmed’s eyes. He shook his head and looked down, unable to meet Nicky’s gaze. “She says that her son was in your arms when everyone fell off the boat. She is asking where he is.”

All the breath left Nicky’s lungs as the words fell on him like lead weights. The small flame of hope he had been harboring in his heart was completely extinguished. He turned to the woman, his body feeling frozen, and tried to say something to her.

The look on his face was all the confirmation she needed. She started wailing and crying, striking his chest over and over again in her grief. Her form, so small and fragile, shook like a leaf as her blows fell on Nicky. He barely felt them, his senses too numb to properly process anything.

Somewhere in the back of his consciousness, he heard Ahmed shouting for Marie. She ran over and saw what was happening. Gripping his arm firmly, Marie dragged Nicky away from the grieving mother. Ahmed tried his best to comfort her as he watched his friends walk away.

Nicky didn’t know how his legs were moving but soon he was being pushed into a bathroom. Marie took his face in her hands and shook him until his eyes finally focused on her.

“Nicolò. Listen to me.”

Nicky knew he must be in trouble if Marie was using his full name. Somehow that thought brought a little hysterical laugh from his lips. She frowned harder when he reacted this way.

“You are still wet and cold from the water. I want you to take a hot shower to warm up while I go get you a change of clothes. Do you hear me?”

Slowly, Nicky nodded his head in understanding. Marie nodded back and closed the bathroom door behind her.

The sudden silence was deafening. The light above the sink felt especially bright to Nicky’s tired eyes. With heavy limbs, he pulled off his wet shirt and dropped it to the floor. He stared at himself in the mirror.

His face was painfully pale with dried salt stains on his cheeks and forehead. Bruises were starting to appear around his neck, shoulder and collarbone. His dull senses finally registered that his arms were stinging, like needles pricking his skin. Nicky looked down and saw that his arms were covered with bloody nail marks and dark bruises in the shape of hand prints. The remnants of the drowning people who had frantically tried to hold on.

Suddenly, the bathroom felt too small. It had never bothered him before but now it was unbearable. The walls felt like they were closing in on him like a coffin. Hands shaking, Nicky stared at his palms and all he could feel was the small child being ripped from him by the waves.

His breathing became erratic. A small part of his mind, the doctor in him, kept screaming at him to breathe. That the lack of oxygen to his brain would cause him to pass out. But it was no use. The room started spinning as he doubled over the sink, gasping like he was back in the water.

Nicky blacked out and hit the floor with a crash.

********************

It only got worse from there.

When Marie came back to see Nicky unconscious on the floor, she had immediately contacted the other members of the medical team to provide aid. The next few days were a blur to Nicky, as he became a patient and not a doctor.

He was stubborn. Even with everyone hovering around him, he insisted that he was fine and that he could still work. However, not even his sheer willpower could put off the effects of the traumatic event for long. Almost daily, he was plagued with terrible nightmares and momentary lapses in focus. Nicky started avoiding his colleagues while a heavy malaise set in. Panic attacks came fast and hard.

Nicky was slowly unravelling. 

Henri decided that there needed to be an intervention to get through to him. They sat in the Captain’s private quarters to chat. Nicky was sitting stiffly in the chair, unable to look at Henri.

“Nicky… I know you’ve been having a hard time. You don’t even have to say anything, I can see it written all over your face,” said the captain. Nicky was silent, his hands opening and closing on his lap. “And I know you're blaming yourself but you did the right thing. There were emergency patients that needed immediate attention. There was no way that you could have known that the Libyan coast guard was so close by.”

Gritting his teeth, Nicky finally looked up, his bloodshot eyes blazing with anger. Anger directed at himself. “If I had called the Pisces right away, we could have avoided the panic. And the drownings.”

“Perhaps. But there is no guarantee of that. They could still have panicked and capsized.”

Nicky’s voice was deeply laced with grief. “But if the Pisces was there already, we would have had more life vests. We could have distributed them faster and-”

“Nicky. Stop it.” 

The captain’s voice was gentle but firm. It was also a command. Nicky swallowed the words that were about to vomit out and looked at Henri with watery eyes. The other man took Nicky’s shaking hands into his own. Henri’s fingers were warm and heavily calloused. He squeezed Nicky’s hands and didn’t let go.

“I know you want to save everyone. You have such a big heart and so much kindness in you,” said Henri. “But Nicky, there is no way you can save everyone. It’s impossible. All we can do is try our best and hope for the best outcome.”

Nicky started trembling. He knew Henri was right but his mind was having trouble acknowledging it. He nodded, seemingly accepting but it didn’t really sink in.

Henri squeezed Nicky’s hand again for emphasis. “What you need right now is to go back to your family and friends. You need to take a break and heal.”

“My body is fine,” muttered Nicky.

“I mean in here,” said Henri, as he pressed a palm over Nicky’s heart. “This is what needs to heal.”

A large lump formed in his throat and hot tears started falling down Nicky’s cheek as Henri looked at him with gentle and knowing eyes.

“Go home, Nicky. Go home and be with your loved ones. I know it feels like the end of the world right now but I promise that it will get better.”

He pulled Nicky into a hug and the older man wrapped his arms around Nicky’s shaking form.

“Just remember, be kind to yourself. You deserve it.”

  
  


******************** 

When Nicky got back to Italy, it took a few days before he was able to talk to his family about what had happened.

He had been on the Pisces a little over a year and the experience had changed him greatly. He had learned a lot and met so many amazing people but the event that destabilized him tainted everything with a sour and bitter note.

And it was strange to be back living with his parents. He had not found a new apartment yet and whenever he brought the subject up, his mother and Gianna would overrule him. When he looked at his father for support, the only thing he got was a silent look that said he would receive none.

Then he tried to go back to his old job in Rome because the thought of doing nothing chafed at him like hot sand against bare skin. About two weeks into his reinstatement, the hospital administrator summoned him, and using very tactful words he basically told him to go on a long vacation, adding, _“when you are ready, you are always welcome back.”_

To add to his frustration, even if he could go back to the Pisces, he was no longer allowed to help. The turbulent politics in his country had sealed that nightmare scenario. All rescue ships were banned from picking up refugees or they would suffer heavy consequences. While people were dying every day, the politicians were bickering like hyenas. Nicky couldn’t watch the news without throwing something across the room in disgust.

Another week passed and Nicky was blindsided by the joint efforts of his family and friends begging him to seek help. He knew they meant well but all he wanted to do was get back to work because as far as he was concerned, he was accomplishing nothing just sitting around. Or at least that’s what he told himself when everything felt like too much.

Nonetheless, Nicky swallowed his stubbornness when Gianna cried and begged. He could never say no to his little sister.

  
  


********************

A family friend recommended a therapist who had helped her greatly. 

Reluctantly, Nicky made an appointment and started his sessions. The first week was slow but that was more his doing than Carla’s. He felt like he was being dissected like a curious new specimen under her watchful eye. Even after two months, Nicky fought the urge to fidget as his therapist looked at him over the rim of her glasses.

“Nicky”

He looked up when he heard his name, and Carla put aside her pen and paper and folded her hands neatly on her lap. By this point in their interactions Nicky was quite familiar with this look on her face. She was a consummate professional but he started to pick up the subtleties in her expressions after a few weeks. Her face told him that he was holding back again. 

She was right.

“Nicky… I realize that due to your profession you are used to being the one who gives help instead of receiving it. But you have seen unfortunate things and there is no shame in talking about it.”

At the mention of “unfortunate,” his jaw clenched in frustration. That word was too mild. Terrible and devastating, yes, but unfortunate? It was too clinical and shallow. How could such a trivial word describe what he had seen?

This was one of the many reasons he was struggling to open up to her. Nicky didn’t feel that he should be complaining about his struggles. Compared to the cruelty he had seen inflicted on his patients, his problems seemed so trivial. 

The irony was that if the roles were reversed, he would say the same thing as Carla to anyone in need of help. Nicky knew that mental health was just as valuable as physical health no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. 

He purposely took a few deep breaths to calm his heart. It wasn’t her fault that Nicky was a tornado of emotions. She was just trying to help.

“Thank you, Carla. I do appreciate your efforts. It’s been three months since I left the Pisces and…” Nicky stopped for a moment to gather his words, “I think I have made some progress.”

“Any panic attacks recently?” Carla asked, her voice even and gently inquisitive.

“I haven’t had one in a month,” Nicky replied. “I still have nightmares sometimes but they’ve been getting less frequent.”

She nodded, encouraging him to say more. “And being in a crowd?”

Nicky laughed out loud. “I’m fine with that now. My mother made me do all the errands during the busiest hours. She called it _my rehabilitation._ I was forgiven the first few times I forgot something in my haste to leave but not much after.”

“Are you looking forward to having your own place again?” Carla’s voice was extremely amused. “Your mother sounds formidable.”

Nicky groaned. “That’s an understatement. I’ve already got a few listings I’m interested in. I’m hoping you could give me a clean bill of health so I can get my life back on track.”

“Do you think you’re ready to go back to work then?”

He thought about that question. Was he ready to get back to work? His first thought was _yes_. But if he lingered long enough, he started to doubt himself. Insecurities that never plagued him before the Pisces had taken hold and he felt undermined by them.

“I think… I will probably still have good days and bad days. But I had those even before the Pisces. I think getting back into my old rhythm will be helpful in my journey.”

She picked up her notepad again and looked through the writings. “Have you tried going back into the water?”

The small silence was telling. Nicky ran his hand through his hair, sighing into the air. “No. I haven’t yet.”

“It will take time, Nicky. Don’t be too hard on yourself.” 

“I know, it’s just-” He tugged at his hair more forcefully, “I wish I was further along on that.”

Carla scrutinized him over her glasses again. These were the times that Nicky felt like a little boy with his mother again. “Nicky. You’ve barely allowed yourself to rest. Yes, you started seeing me which is a good step but even though you aren’t _working_ in your previous capacity, you’re still helping your parents and volunteering. I really wish you would be less harsh on yourself.”

He started fidgeting again, knowing where this conversation was going. “But I feel better when I'm _doing something_. Taking time off seems like… I’m not doing enough.”

Carla flipped through the pages of her notepad until she tapped on the page that she was looking for. “I see here that you mentioned a friend’s wedding that's happening this month. Are you planning to attend? Because that sounds like a nice break to me.”

Nicky shifted again in his seat, feeling a bit put on the spot. When Nile had sent him the invitation to her wedding, he was still in the middle of the Mediteranean. Nicky had just finished a 16 hour shift but even that exhaustion didn’t dampen the happiness he felt for her. 

There was no question that he wanted to go, but his job on the Pisces had made it challenging to plan things too far into the future. However, recent events had changed his circumstances and now he had a lot more flexibility in his calendar. 

When he was slow in responding to her, Carla spoke again. “Is there a problem going to your friend’s wedding?” She asked.

“No, there isn’t a problem. I’ve already told her that my schedule opened up and I can come.” Nicky stopped and fiddled with the zipper on his jacket. “But she asked me if I could stay for a month after the wedding and I don’t think I should be gone that long.”

“A month?”

“Yes, that’s how long she and her husband plan to be on their honeymoon. It seems that the person who usually looks after their pets had to cancel at the last minute. She was asking if I could house sit for her.”

Carla clapped her hands together in excitement. “This sounds like a great idea! You can go see your friends, have a good time at the wedding, and then just enjoy relaxing. What kind of pets do they have?”

Nicky frowned as he tried to remember. “I think… a dog and a cat. Pretty sure the dog is Nile’s and the cat is Booker’s.” 

“That sounds lovely. Maybe they can be more helpful to you than I have been,” said Carla. She hid a small smile behind her hand but her eyes gave it away. 

“Oh no, Carla, I don’t want you to think-” Nicky sputtered, slightly horrified that he had made this kind lady think she was not being helpful. “You’re wonderful. It’s not your fault that I’m being difficult.”

Carla took off her glasses and set them on the small table beside her. She gave Nicky another reassuring smile.“I am not offended in the slightest. Everyone is different in what works for them and if this method is not resonating with you, that’s all right,” said Carla. She watched as Nicky rubbed the back of his neck, still looking apologetic. “Did you know that having pets has been shown to reduce stress? One of my former patients tried animal therapy and it worked wonders for her. I think one aspect that might appeal to you is that you can still be a caretaker.”

At this, Nicky’s interest perked up a bit. Playing with cute animals sounded quite nice and he did want to help Nile. He knew that she put a lot of time into planning her wedding and an unforeseen hiccup like this could throw a monkey wrench into her honeymoon. Nicky really _did_ want to help. He was just struggling with justifying that long of a downtime when he felt he should focus on going back to work.

“Would you like my advice?” Carla asked.

Nicky nodded an affirmative. She got up and sat on the chair that was beside him. At this distance he couldn’t look away as she stared directly into his eyes.

“You should go to your friend’s wedding and help look after the pets. You should avoid the news about the mess that is happening here. Read books that you have been meaning to but could never find the time to. Same with movies. Go and eat delicious food and see beautiful things. Meet new people. Enjoy your friends and have some time just for yourself.”

He laughed, sounding a little brittle. “This seems like a very decadent and self-indulgent set of activities.”

Carla did not join him in his mirth. If anything, her face got even more serious. “Nicky, I have the utmost respect for your dedication and I’m so proud of how much you’ve achieved in this short amount of time. When I think about how you were on your first day to now, it’s like night and day.”

This praise filled Nicky with joy. Hearing this from Carla was a welcome relief, but she wasn’t done.

“However, you still need to rest. Being selfless is a virtue but you are only human, Nicky. Self-care is not the same as being selfish. If you can’t take care of your own needs, how can you care for others?”

Looking away for a moment, Nicky closed his eyes to hide his distress. This was the truth that he had trouble looking head on. Nicky knew that something had to change or he would hit his limit again. 

He sighed and leaned back into the chair. Nicky turned his face back to Carla, trying to offer one last feeble attempt at protesting. “I haven’t had a pet since I was a kid living with my parents. What do I know about taking care of animals?”

Carla patted his hand and didn’t bother giving him an out. “That’s what Google is for, my dear.”


	2. Chapter 2

Nicky felt his phone buzz and looked down to see a text from Andy.

 **Andy** : _How much longer until you can disembark?_

He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. His plane had landed an hour ago but they were still stuck on the tarmac. The captain had updated them of their status a few minutes ago and the hope was that they could leave in 30 minutes. Nicky wasn’t going to believe anything until it happened. He typed out a reply to Andy about the time frame.

The answer came back immediately. 

**Andy** : _If you get a taxi right away, you can still make it. Don’t text Nile because she is freaking out. I had to take her phone away._

Nile was not the only one freaking out. When Nicky had booked this flight from Rome, he had not anticipated the amount of chaos that would plague his journey. His layover in Amsterdam was originally set for two hours but instead it had become 24 hours due to mechanical issues. Nicky tried to nap in the airport chair but there was only so much rest you could get under bright lights and the noise of people going about. Now this latest wrinkle of being unable to leave his plane was the cherry on top. 

**Nicky** : _Tell Nile that everything is going to be fine. I’ll promise the taxi driver a very large tip so that he will drive as fast as you._

He could just feel the eyeroll when Andy texted him back. Everyone knew Andy drove like a maniac unless Quynh and the children were in the car. How she avoided any speeding tickets was a miracle in and of itself. 

**Andy** : _Just make sure that you clean up a bit before you join us. I know we're in a hurry but Quynh will never let you forget if you go to Nile’s wedding in jeans and a wrinkled t-shirt._

Nicky winced. Usually his devotion to comfortable clothes was not an issue. Perhaps a long running joke but not an issue. But even he knew that showing up at a wedding in crumpled casual wear would be frowned upon. He hoped that he got there with enough time to swap out his current clothes. 

The speaker above his head crackled to life.

“Ladies and gentleman, we apologize for the delay. We will be moving to the exit in a moment. We thank you for your patience.”

Nicky closed his eyes and leaned back into the headrest as the flight attendant continued to drone about customs and baggage claim. He had been keeping his tone light but he was worried. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin Nile’s special day and it was dangerously close. It had been almost two years since his last visit and this was not the way he wanted things to pan out. For the hundredth time, Nicky cursed himself for not booking an earlier flight.

As promised, the plane started to move when about 30 minutes had passed. A few of the weary travellers gave a small cheer as the airport entrance came within sight. Soon, Nicky was grabbing his bag from the overhead compartment and shuffling down the aisle while trying not to feel impatient.

Once inside the airport, Nicky tried to hurry without looking panicked. The last thing you wanted to do in an airport was to look suspicious and get pulled over for a screening. Blessedly, he got through security without issue and rushed to the baggage claim. The giant conveyor belt turned slowly as bag after bag dropped onto it. Nicky tapped his foot impatiently and regretted his choice to have an extra bag.

When he spotted his luggage, Nicky excused himself as he reached over and yanked it off the rotating platform. He raced outside and got into a waiting taxi.

"Hello. I need to get to The Old Guard Hotel," said Nicky as he pulled out his wallet. "And I can guarantee a big tip if you can get me there as fast as you can."

The driver didn't disappoint and got there in record time. After tipping them generously, Nicky grabbed his bags and rushed toward the building. When he got to the check-in counter and gave his name, the receptionist suddenly got excited and picked up the phone. She handed him the key cards to his room as she announced to the person on the other line that he had arrived. Soon, it became obvious who she was talking to.

“Nicky! Oh, thank goodness you made it!” Quynh yelled as she dashed across the lobby and hugged him fiercely. “You have to come with me! Quick!"

“Don’t worry, Mr. di Genova!” said the receptionist. “I’ll have the porter take your bags to your room right away!”

He waved a feeble thank you in response as Quynh dragged him to an unknown destination. They reached a door that said “Bride’s Room” and she opened the door after a swift knock. “I have brought home our long lost son!”

The first thing Nicky saw was Nile. She was standing in the middle of the room in the most beautiful dress he had ever seen. She was absolutely glowing in the flowy waves of iridescent fabric. Then he didn’t see anything else because Nile screamed in pure joy and launched herself at him.

“Nicky! I was so worried! Andy took my phone away so I had no idea what was going on!” She pulled back and took his face between her hands. “Dear sweet Nicolò, I missed you so much.”

“I had to take your phone away because you had enough on your plate!” Andy responded in her own defense. She came close and also hugged him. “Welcome back, Nicky.”

“Don’t leave me out of the hug fest!” Quynh laughed in protest as she wrapped her arms around them all. “We all missed you so much.”

It took everything he had to not break down in tears as his friends held him in their arms. No, not friends. They were family. Family that he had missed with all his body and heart. Everything from their voices, smell and warmth screamed of love and a piece of his broken self wailed inside. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” said Andy gruffly. She pulled back and looked at his face. “Damn, Nicky. You look like death warmed over. When was the last time you got some decent sleep?”

Nile hugged Nicky again and batted her hand at Andy. “Stop picking on him! He just got here!” She gently tucked an errant strand of hair away from his eyes and frowned. “Shit, Nicky, I hate to say this but she’s right. You _do_ look like crap.”

“And you’re wearing a t-shirt and jeans. You do realize this is a wedding?” Quynh said, adding fuel to the fire. 

Nicky scrunched up his nose in mock annoyance. “I didn’t exactly have time to change while stuck on a plane with my suit in the luggage.” Then he looked at Andy in surprise. “Speaking of outfits, you’re wearing a dress. Did you lose a bet with Nile?”

Andy grumbled and didn’t answer. She looked at Quynh and tapped her wrist. “How much time do we have?”

Quynh pressed the mic button on her earpiece and asked a question to her assistant. Nicky had forgotten that she was the event planner for this wedding. She turned back to Andy. “I think we can buy Nicky about 20 minutes.”

“You heard the lady. Let’s be quick about this, shall we?” Andy shoved Nicky out of the door and pointed to a large set of doors across the foyer. “After you're done changing, go there and the ushers will seat you. Hurry!”

He didn’t need to hear it twice. He ran to the elevators and stabbed the buttons to go up. Nicky took out the keycard and saw that it was for room #503. With a soft ding, the doors opened and he chose the fifth floor as his destination.

Once inside his room, Nicky was relieved to see his luggage was already there. He also mentally thanked Andy for recommending that he book a room in the same hotel as the wedding. It was making this rushed process just a tad easier.

He stripped off his clothes and took the fastest shower he had ever taken in his life. Luckily, he had shaved in the airport bathroom in Amsterdam so at least he wasn't scruffy with an untrimmed beard. He dried himself and opened his bag to find his suit tucked neatly on top. Gianna had helped him pack for the trip and had insisted on a proper attire. Her reminder not to “shame the family by showing up in jeans and sneakers" came to mind. He chuckled and sent her a silent thank you for her meticulous intervention.

After getting dressed, he looked in the mirror to do one final check. The man looking back at him definitely looked tired but the wild haunted gaze that had plagued him for weeks was faded. The dark smudges under his eyes were proof that his sleep was still fretful, but Nicky slapped his cheeks with both hands and gave himself a mental pep talk.

_It's Nile's wedding day. Don't think too much and just live for the moment._

He didn't have any styling products so some water to push back his hair was all the attention that got. The dark blue suit and tie highlighted his bright eyes, a shifting shade of green, blue and grey. With time running out, Nicky hoped that this was enough for Quynh's impeccable standards.

Nicky hurried to the elevators and got back to the first floor. He dashed to the entrance of the event room and an usher seated him in one of the back rows of chairs. The double doors were closed again as the crowd inside the room murmured in hushed voices.

Since he was seated in the row furthest back, Nicky could only make out minor details happening in the front. There was an officiant in a white robe standing with a small book in his hand. A tall blonde man in a black tuxedo stood beside the pastor. He fidgeted slightly and shifted his weight from left to right. Another man, also in a tux, tapped the groom on the shoulder and whispered something into his ear. The blonde man stopped fidgeting and his tense body seemed to relax slightly.

_There’s Booker._

Nicky had spoken to Booker a few times on the phone. Nile had also sent many pictures of their adventures and hijinks. Being in the middle of the Mediterranean made it challenging to keep in touch so he was grateful that technology had made the separation a little more bearable. He still remembered the excitement in Nile’s voice when she called to tell him about meeting him. It sounded like they had a whirlwind romance and within a year, Booker had proposed. Nicky hoped that today he would get a chance to get to know the lucky man a bit better.

Suddenly, the speakers started playing music and everyone stopped talking. The large doors opened again and Nicky could feel the excitement electrifying the air.

First, the bridesmaids and the groomsmen came down the aisle in pairs. Nicky recognized Dizzy and Jay from his residency days with Nile, Andy and Quynh. Their soft teal dresses were simple yet elegant, their smiles the best adornment to their outfits. He also recognized one of the groomsmen. Nicky was happy to see that Nile’s younger brother Andre was unchanged from the last time he had seen him. He was gently holding Dizzy’s arm as they walked down in tandem. 

Next was the most adorable sight that he had ever seen in his life. Andy, the maid of honor, was walking down the aisle with her two children. Tien and Tuan were carrying out their duties of flower girl and ring bearer with the exuberant energy of most four year olds. Tien was throwing large clumps of petals to the ground while Tuan had a white knuckled grip on the box that contained the rings. Everyone fawned over how cute the children were while Andy was trying her best to herd them down the aisle. Nicky couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up when Tien chucked a fistful of flowers so hard that it hit someone in the face. Andy looked mortified but everyone laughed in good humor.

Finally, after a few stops and starts, the children made it to the front. Perhaps it was seeing the finish line in sight that caused Tuan to momentarily panic. Instead of giving the ring box to the best man, he ran to Quynh and buried his face into her lap. She was seated in the front row along with the wedding party and had anticipated such an event. Everyone laughed again as the tall man with the dark hair and beard leaned down to speak with the little boy. The transfer was done safely and the best man stepped back into position.

The music picked up in volume. All eyes went back to the doors as the bride finally made her entrance. Nile’s face was beaming as she walked down the aisle with her mother, Vivienne. The tiara in her hair shone like stars along with the crystals that had been painstakingly sewn onto her dress, but none of them were as bright as her happy smile as she looked down the aisle at her future husband.

Nicky was sitting quite far but he was willing to bet that Booker was crying. His suspicions were confirmed when the best man discreetly handed him a cloth handkerchief to mop up his teary eyes. A tight warmth spread across Nicky's chest at the thought of his dear friend being that intensely loved. As far as Nicky was concerned, Nile deserved it a thousand fold.

When Nile finally got to the altar, she turned to her mother and hugged her tight. Nicky could see her lips move as she spoke to Vivienne. With a gesture full of pure love, her mother stroked Nile’s cheek before handing her away to Booker. As their fingers intertwined, Nile and Booker smiled at each other as though there was no one else in the room.

There was not a dry eye in sight. Nicky could hear sniffling and noses being blown as they all looked upon the happy bride and groom. The music slowly faded away and then there was only the clear calming voice of the pastor as he started the ceremony. 

For the first time since he left Rome, Nicky's mind was clear and his heart full of unadulterated joy.

  
  


********************

  
  


Nicky was so thankful that fate, despite his misgivings, had allowed him to attend the wedding.

The ceremony had ended just a moment ago with cheers and clapping as Booker and Nile finally kissed. Nicky couldn't hold back his tears anymore and brushed them away as they leaked out of the corner of his eye. Nile was radiant in her joy and he was so happy for her.

Then it immediately got a bit confusing. The wedding party was whisked away by the photographer for pictures while everyone else was expected to move to the banquet area. Nicky had no idea where he was supposed to go so he followed the other attendees. After standing by the doors and unable to decide what to do, an usher asked for his name. Thankfully, he was escorted to the designated seat without further delay.

There were five other chairs at the round table. The place setting was beautifully arranged with a centerpiece of candles and flowers floating in a bowl of glittering water. The scent was subtle but soothing to Nicky's senses. He sat down and saw the nametag "Dr. Nicolo di Genova" placed by his empty wine glass.

"Nicky? Is that you?"

He turned around to answer the person who had called out to him. A wide smile broke out when Nicky saw the familiar face. "Dr. Copley! It's so good to see you!" He got up from the chair and hugged the other man. 

"This is a wonderful surprise!" Copley said while enthusiastically patting Nicky on the back. "It's been about five years, right? Since you finished your residency?"

"Yes it has," said Nicky. "And I see you haven't aged a day."

Copley shook his head and laughed. "Tell that to my aching back. I am certainly older." He looked at the table settings with the name tags. "And I see whoever planned this wedding has thoughtfully placed you beside me."

"Most likely that was Quynh, Andy's wife. She’s the wedding planner."

They sat in their seats and started reminiscing over the good old days. Copley was already a well established hospital administrator by the time Nicky was applying for his residency. He still remembered Nicky’s interview and how poised his answers had been. Copley knew immediately that he would be an asset to the program. The paperwork was swiftly approved and Nicky got to start his adventure abroad.

When Nicky first arrived, he did experience some culture shock. His English was excellent so that wasn’t a huge problem, but he felt like a total duck out of water and it resulted in people misunderstanding his shyness for aloofness.

The initial awkward period attracted the attention of a pair of outgoing students named Nile and Andy. The gregarious pair claimed that they were now friends for life (on their second meeting no less) and took Nicky under their wing. 

Barely a month into the friendship, Nicky moved into Andy and Quynh’s house when they offered a lower rent and more space compared to his cramped studio apartment. He was renting by the month at the time so it worked out perfectly. Nile was also living there. They spent four incredible years juggling crazy schedules and way too many drunken movie nights. Quynh was usually the one resuscitating them after they endured grueling 80 hour work weeks. The joys and hardships made their bonds even stronger.

Naturally, when Nicky had decided to go back to Italy after his residency was complete, it was heartbreak all around. Nile tried very hard to convince him to stay but he was resolute. She hadn't been the only one who tried.

His face the mask of perfect neutrality, Copley took a sip of his water. "So, I don't want to sound pushy but you are always welcome to come back.” He smiled graciously at Nicky. "I still regret being unable to convince you to stay after you finished your residency."

Nicky flushed in pleasure at this praise because he had a lot of respect for James Copley. This was a man who had been a very talented neurologist before his wife's tragic passing. Watching her afflicted with ALS must have been especially painful for a person with his training. But Copley had persevered through the pain, remained a loving father, and channeled all his energy into a new career in administration. 

Nicky smiled and nodded his head in gratitude. "Thank you so much for your offer, Dr. Copley, but this last year has been pretty tough and I'm taking a small break. Luckily, Nile’s wedding coincided with that."

Copley held up his hand as though to soothe any pressure from the conversation. "I understand. I hope you don’t mind but Nile told me you are between jobs. She was wondering if there was anything I could do if you were interested in a change of scenery.”

Nicky silently cursed at Nile and her well meaning but meddling ways. He had assumed Quynh had seated him beside Copley but now he was sure it was Nile. He put on a pleasant face so that the administrator would not be confused. “I really appreciate that, sir. I do.” Nicky swallowed with some difficulty as he carefully spoke his next words. “I think after my vacation, I’m going to re-evaluate my next post. If I decide I want to come back here, I promise you that I will let you know right away.”

Copley patted Nicky on the back affectionately. “No worries. You know I’m good at pulling strings if we need to expedite anything.” He winked dramatically as though sharing a deep hidden secret.

At this gesture, Nicky laughed out loud. It was hospital gossip that Copley must have had a former past as a CIA operative. He was very well connected and whenever something needed to be “sorted out,” he would magically know just the right avenue to smooth things over. Nicky thought that Copley was just very persuasive instead of anything nefarious.

The other guests that were designated for the table arrived and greeted Nicky with enthusiasm. Everyone was a member of the hospital staff and he reminded himself to get payback at Nile for putting him in this situation. They asked him about old rumors of his times at the hospital and Nicky groaned inwardly that the notoriety had not fully worn off. He placed the blame fully on Nile and Andy because he would testify to his dying breath that he was an unwilling participant in their mischief.

Before they could ask him about one particularly bad prank involving bags of saline, the wedding party returned from getting photographed. That was the cue for the wait staff to start bringing in the food and beverages. Nicky sighed in relief that he didn’t have to relieve anymore embarrassing stories.

As the plates of salad and soup were placed in front of him, some of his anxiety started creeping in. It’s not that he didn’t appreciate Nile’s attempt at helping him transition to another job. He knew that she meant well by asking Copley for assistance. 

He was saved from brooding further when he heard the sound of metal cutlery ringing against glassware. Everyone looked up to see the best man standing from the large table set up for the wedding party. 

“Hello! I’m sorry to interrupt but this is where I am obligated to make a speech. You are more than welcome to ignore me and keep eating and drinking.”

Nicky had been about to take a bite of his salad when his fork stopped midair. Since he had been sitting at the furthest row, he had not been able to get a good look at the groom and the best man until now. To be fair, he was mostly focused on Nile. Now that he was sitting much closer, he couldn’t take his eyes off the tall man standing up with a mic to his lips.

He would guess that the best man was over 6 feet tall. His dark curly hair looked soft and touchable. The beard was closely trimmed and revealed very deep dimples when he flashed those white teeth across the room. The tuxedo fit him like a glove, accentuating an athletic body and confident stance. 

Nicky suddenly felt his mouth go dry at the sight of the handsome man and the salad became tasteless on his tongue. That response alone shocked him. After Emilio, Nicky had been way too busy to even think of dating. Some of his fellow crew members on the boat had struck up romances but Nicky preferred to keep his private and professional life separate. Then his overtaxed mental state had depleted any interest in seeking a new partner.

But this man standing before him, exuding such warmth and good humor, made Nicky feel like he was struck by lightning. He only broke out of his stupor when the other man started speaking again.

“My name is Joe and I was asked by Booker to be the best man. I told him this was a terrible idea because I have enough blackmail material from our college days that I hope Nile had him sign a prenup.”

The whole room laughed as Booker put his face into his hands in embarrassment, but Joe was only getting started. 

“I know I’m supposed to be talking about what a great guy he is and how happy I am for him, but seriously, Nile-” He turned to the smiling bride and pointed at Booker. “You can do better than him.”

Booker made a half-hearted attempt to take the mic away from Joe as the whole wedding party roared with laughter. Joe grinned and kept going. “But I gotta hand it to him for his persistence. I still remember when he told me he had met the woman of his dreams and how she kept turning him down for a date. That was so sensible of you, Nile, because I think the suffering did him some good.”

Nicky was chuckling with the rest of the guests at this comedic act. Even though the words sounded unkind, it was obvious to everyone in the room how fond Joe was of his friend. Nile was grinning from ear to ear and that was a welcome sight for Nicky.

“Okay, all joking aside,” said Joe, looking down at his best friend and putting his hand on the groom’s shoulder. “I am so happy for you and Nile. I know that this will be the start of a beautiful journey together. I am incredibly thrilled for you both. So before I lose my composure and start crying, Booker, I will leave you with some words of wisdom that my father got when he got married.” 

Joe leaned closer to Booker as though whispering in a conspiratorial fashion. “Happy Wife, Happy Life.”

The guests whooped and clapped at this proclamation and brought their wine glasses for a toast. Joe, still laughing, handed the mic across the table to Andy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Nicky was a little disappointed at the shortness of the speech. He was thoroughly enjoying listening to Joe talk and laugh.

Andy got up with the mic and nodded to Joe. "Thank you Joe for setting the bar so low in expectations. Now I can botch my speech and no one will remember."

Joe grinned and made a small bow while still sitting. Andy turned to the guests and waved casually. "Hi, my name is Andy and I had the great fortune of meeting Nile in medical school. I honestly don't know how she is still friends with me after all these years. Especially when I convinced her and Nicky to move into my house during residency so I could pay off my mortgage."

Nicky almost choked trying to stifle his laughter. The guests sitting at his table turned to look at him in renewed interest. He desperately hoped they wouldn't ask what it was like being Nile and Andy's roommate. Andy wore chaos like a cloak and that usually got worse when off the clock. Luckily, Quynh had offset some of her random energy.

"I suspect that Nile only put up with me because of my delightful wife, Quynh. But Nile, I want you to know how _much_ I love you because I wore a freaking dress for you… and I didn't do that for my own wedding!"

Nile cheered and blew Andy a kiss. Andy pantomimed catching it and putting it in her non-existent pocket. Then she turned to Booker. "And Booker, you owe me for life because if I had not stepped in, she would have kept turning you down. Your sad puppy eyes warmed my frigid heart and I took pity on you."

Now it was Booker's turn to make a little bow to Andy in thanks. She smiled in a slightly savage manner as she wiggled her index finger at him. "But now that we're all here, I fully expect you to devote yourself to making Nile the happiest woman in the world because she deserves it. And if for some reason you can't do this, I'll come after you with an axe." Andy raised her glass for another toast and the guests cheered again.

Booker got up after Andy handed him the mic and rubbed his face dramatically as though he was exhausted. "Thank you Joe and Andy for those blessedly short speeches. With friends like you two who needs enemies." After the crowd's laughter died down, he turned to look at Nile with pure adoration in his eyes. 

"But sadly they are right because Nile is the most wonderful person I know and way too good for me. I never thought getting hit by a car while riding my motorcycle was going to change my life so drastically, but when she walked into my room at the hospital, I thought an angel had come to see me." Booker leaned down to kiss Nile's cheek as she giggled. "I am truly the luckiest man alive and I will devote my life to be worthy of you." 

Tears started gathering in Nile’s eyes as Booker lifted her hand to kiss it. He silently mouthed to her _I love you_ as the room got louder with more clapping. He gently handed her the mic and helped her up from her seat. She sniffed and wiped an errant tear that rolled down her cheek. When she had the mic up to her lips, her smile was radiant.

"First of all, thank you to everyone for coming to our special day. We are so grateful for all of your blessings. And just for clarification," said Nile as she rubbed Booker's shoulder affectionately, "he was on a lot of pain meds when I first saw him. I think the whole _angel vision_ he keeps talking about was due to him being high as a kite."

Booker started shaking his head in denial as the room erupted into more laughter. Nile giggled and continued the story. "And I was turning you down because you were my patient! It would have been unethical! But lucky for me, you didn't give up and kept asking me out even after you were discharged."

Her eyes got watery again as she held the mic tighter. "This is truly the happiest day of my life. I just wish my dad was still here to see it. But I know he is looking down at us and smiling." Her eyes flickered momentarily to her mom and brother. They both nodded at Nile, trying and failing to hold back their emotions. 

"So I want to raise a glass to all of our loved ones, here and now forever. Thank you for joining us in celebrating our love. Cheers!"

Everyone held up their glasses in salute. "Cheers! Cheers!" 

Nicky watched Booker get up from his chair to envelop Nile into a giant bear hug. She threw her arms around his neck as he lifted her into the air and did a little spin. Nicky wiped a tear away from his eyes at the beautiful sight. He took a sip of his wine to help swallow the lump of emotion in his throat. The last year had been the most challenging in his life and this happy occasion couldn't have come at a better time.

The guests dug into the dinner with enthusiasm. The volume in the room went up significantly with snippets of conversation mixed in with piano music that was playing over the speakers. Nicky and Copley continued their conversation in between bites of salmon meunière and roasted fingerling potatoes. He especially enjoyed the sparkling rosé that the wait staff had poured to pair with the fish. All in all, he approved of the menu selections.

This was a new experience for Nicky. He had attended only a handful of weddings in his life and despite some initial nerves, he was enjoying this immensely. The few weddings he had been to in Italy were in his childhood. He only retained a vague memory of being scolded by his mother for fidgeting through Mass. Nile and Booker's wedding was a more relaxed affair. It also helped that he was now an adult and they had opted for an open bar. 

After everyone was suitably liquored up, the dancing started. Since Nile’s father had passed away when she was young, her brother Andre was stepping in for the father-daughter dance. When it was over, he smoothly steered Nile toward Booker for their own dance. Nicky chuckled at the memory of Nile frantically texting him about her dance lessons. She had been working extra shifts to help a co-worker on maternity leave and she was exhausted by the time she got to the studio. She had been worried for nought because the couple moved beautifully together.

Then the part of the wedding that Nicky had been secretly dreading finally arrived. Once the formal dances finished, the DJ kicked up the music with crowd favorites to get everyone moving. People cheered and poured on to the open floor. Nicky decided that was his cue to find a quiet and secluded place to hide. Sadly, he was too late. 

“And where do you think you’re going?”

Nicky turned around and saw Nile grinning at him from ear to ear. He gulped and tried to slowly back away. “Nothing. I’m just uh… looking for the bathroom…”

“Nice try, Nicky. But you are not escaping this. Now, come on! Let’s dance!”

She took his hand and started dragging him to the center of the crowd. He groaned audibly at the thought of trying to look co-ordinated. Nicky sincerely hoped that Nile had on steel toed boots under that dress. 

As Rihanna’s “We Found Love” blasted over the speakers, Nicky tried his best not to crush Nile’s feet or her dress. He wasn’t sure if all the wine was helping or impeding his body moving in a semblance of decent motion. It didn’t seem to matter to Nile though because she was laughing in joy and having the time of her life dancing with her family and friends. At the end of the day, that was all that mattered. Luckily for Nicky, he was saved after a few songs by Andy.

He shot a look of grateful relief at her. “Thank you, Andy.”

“No worries. But I’ll come to claim my reward for saving you later.” Andy grinned as she took Nile’s hand and spun her around.

That sounded a bit foreboding but Nicky was too busy running away as fast as he could. He ran immediately to the bartender to get more wine and saw Quynh smiling in sympathy.

“I see my wife had to play the knight for you,” said Quynh as she looked at him. He was draining the alcohol fairly quickly.

“I don’t think it was a favor. She said something about compensation for her services.” Nicky grimaced a little in fear. “That could be anything and your wife is terrifying.”

Quynh giggled. “That she is.” She tapped her earpiece and said something in reply to her staff. “Sorry, Nicky, the kitchen has a question for me. I’ll be right back.”

Nicky’s face changed to concern. “Is there anything I can do? I feel bad you have to work while everyone is celebrating.”

She waved his concerns away casually. “No, no, I offered to help Nile ages ago! This is me totally in my element. Besides, Tien and Tuan are having my share of the fun so it’s all good.”

He saw the adorable twins, who were also on the dance floor, screaming with delight and dancing up a storm. The sheer amount of energy that small children possessed never ceased to amaze Nicky.

The rest of the party kept chugging along as Nicky met new people and struck up conversations. There were even a few attempts that seemed more than just friendly but Nicky graciously rebuffed the advances. His sister had made a few vulgar jokes about people hooking up at weddings but Nicky had no such plans. Although the one exception Nicky could think of if he wanted to scandalize his sister was currently on the dance floor.

The best man cut quite a figure in the middle of the throng of people. Everyone was dressed to the nines but Nicky couldn’t help his eyes from wandering to him. 

_I think he said his name was Joe._

Nicky sipped more of the wine as he admired the tall man. Every time he laughed and flashed those dimples, Nicky felt his stomach clench in reaction which Nicky was still feeling a bit unbalanced by. Ever since his return from the Pisces, anything romantic in nature was the last thing on his mind. 

But as Joe lifted Tien into the air and twirled the giggling little girl like a princess, Nicky felt warmth spread across his chest. Maybe it was the wine but he couldn’t think of anyone who was as handsome as Joe. Annoyingly, his open admiration of the other man was rudely interrupted by the DJ’s voice.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” said the DJ over the speakers. “I’m going to ask all the singles who want to participate to gather on the dance floor. I have been informed by the bride that they are skipping the garter toss because she doesn’t want to embarrass her grandparents. But the bouquet toss is definitely still on the menu! So please gather around if you want to be the next one to find your soulmate!”

A heavy hand suddenly clamped around Nicky’s shoulder. “Did you hear that, Nicky? I’ve come to claim my reward.”

With dread on his face, Nicky looked at Andy. Her eyes were shining with pure mischief as he shook his head frantically. “No, please don’t do this Andy. Isn’t the bouquet toss supposed to be for the ladies?”

She put her other hand on his shoulder to stop him from running away. “This is true but you heard the DJ. Nile is opting out of the garter toss so this is going to be for _all_ the single people. And last I remember, you are still unattached.”

He kept pleading with her to see reason, that he was happily single and he would look ridiculous. Andy wouldn’t budge and kept walking toward the crowd that was getting bigger on the dance floor. She shoved him into the middle and yelled out, “don’t chicken out on me, Nicky!” Then she scooped up her two overly excited children and ran off.

Sighing in resignation, Nicky decided to humor her. What were the odds anyways? He saw at least 20 people, mostly women, all vibrating with anticipation around him. Chances were high that it would be one of these nice ladies who would claim the final prize.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Nile turned around and threw the bouquet over her head. The world seemed to slow down for Nicky as he watched the bundle of flowers arc into the air. 

And towards him.

Without thinking, he instinctively reached up before his mind could overrule his body. Nicky’s fingers wrapped around the flowers and brought the fragrant package down to eye level.

But he couldn’t move it past that point because someone else's fingers were also wrapped around the bouquet. Nicky turned his head and came face to face with the owner of the other hand.

It was Joe.

Nicky wasn't quite sure what was happening. Andy had shoved him pretty deep into the throng of people so it was possible that he missed Joe approaching from behind. Everyone was staring at them as the DJ's choice of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz was playing in the background. 

Then Joe flashed those dimples as his lips split into a huge grin. 

“So should I propose now or somewhere more private?”

Nicky’s brain stopped functioning and didn’t register the joyful screaming that erupted from the crowd. All he could see was the impossibly beautiful man who was smiling at Nicky like he was the only person in the whole world.

He came out of his frozen state when Joe gently passed him the bouquet. Nicky held it close to his chest as Joe wrapped his warm fingers around Nicky’s wrist. “Hey, let’s go sit down before we get mobbed.”

Nodding wordlessly, Nicky followed Joe as they left the cheering people. Words like “oh my gosh, they are so cute” and “damnit, all the good ones are taken or gay” vaguely filtered through his ears. The full ramification of what had just happened hit Nicky like a ton of bricks and his face blew up in a red flush. He had just caught the bouquet with the most gorgeous man in the room and Joe had responded by asking if he should propose. Surely he was dreaming.

But when he was seated and Joe passed a flute of champagne into his hands, Nicky knew he wasn’t dreaming. He watched Joe take a sip of bubbly while his shining brown eyes danced over the rim of the glass. How could something so simple be this sexy?

“Um… I wasn’t,” stuttered Nicky. He drained half the alcohol in one gulp to hide his shock. “That wasn’t what I was expecting to happen.” 

Joe laughed and Nicky was entranced by how the corners of his eyes crinkled in mirth. He flashed that devastating smile again and Nicky felt like he was about to melt into the chair. 

“I wasn’t expecting that either. But now I’m going to have to thank Booker for shoving me in there at the last second.”

Nicky blushed again and tried to gather his composure. So far, Joe was being extremely friendly but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. He could be this amiable with anybody. Nicky put his champagne down and offered his hand in hello.

“Sorry, I should introduce myself properly. My name is Nicky. I’m Nile’s friend.”

Joe’s eyes lit up in delight as he took Nicky’s hand and gave a firm shake. “Nicky? As in Nile’s old roommate Nicky?”

“That’s me. Hopefully she hasn’t told you anything terrible.” Nicky was waiting for Joe to let go of his hand but felt sad when he finally did. He didn’t understand why such a brief touch was sending tingles down his whole arm.

“She told me she couldn’t have gotten through her residency without you and Andy. That you are a veritable saint. An angel.” Joe tipped his head slightly to the side as he assessed Nicky like an artist would a painting. “And I see she was right.”

The blush came back as it quickly spread across Nicky’s face and neck. Being at the end of those warm eyes was almost too much, especially in light of how rusty Nicky was in playing this type of game. “Nile is exaggerating. She is immensely talented and would have been fine without me.”

“I see that you are also kind,” said Joe. “You didn’t even bat an eye at my poor attempt at flattery.”

“Oh, I don’t think it was a poor attempt.”

Nicky almost swallowed his tongue as the words slipped out. He had meant to keep those words in his head but they had treacherously escaped his lips. Joe smiled again and Nicky felt like the room was suddenly too hot. He was beginning to wonder if his mouth was also malfunctioning like the rest of him.

“My name is Joe, although you might have figured that out by now.” He pointed to the large wedding party table where he had made his best man speech. “I hope you enjoyed me roasting Booker on his special day.”

“It was delightful. I’ve had to deal with Nile gushing about him for the last year so it was a nice change of pace.” Nicky pointed to his jacket pocket where his phone was. “I think at one point she was sending me an essay of every date they went on."

Joe raised his eyebrow in amusement. “Did she mention anything about me?”

Nicky was a little embarrassed and shook his head. “I’m sorry but I don’t remember if Nile mentioned anything more than that you’re Booker’s best friend. It’s been a bit hectic for me because of my old job.”

“No offense taken. It just means I don’t have to worry about Nile besmirching my good name.” 

Nicky took another sip of his champagne to hide how affected by Joe he was. Not only was he the most gorgeous man Nicky had ever seen, he was also funny. And charming. How could this man possibly still be single?

“Oh, that’s because I haven’t found the right person yet,” said Joe.

It took Nicky a moment to realize that he had once again said the words he had meant to keep private out loud. His face must have given that away because Joe laughed sweetly at his reaction. He nudged the bouquet that was now laying on the table beside both of them.

“Can I ask why _you’re_ still single?” asked Joe. 

Nicky rubbed the back of his neck to give his hand something to do. “Ah well, my last boyfriend and I had some philosophical disagreements about my work.”

Joe’s face lit up at the word “boyfriend.” It got even brighter at the confirmation that Nicky was truly single. Or at least that was how Nicky wanted to interpret the various emotions playing out across Joe’s face.

“That’s his loss then.” Joe leaned forward slightly and licked his lips. “Does this mean that I get to have a chance?”

Nicky stared dumbly at Joe. “Chance for what?”

Joe almost snorted in laughter and then gently tapped Nicky on his nose with his index finger. “Has anyone ever told you how adorable you are?”

Nicky blushed again. He rubbed the spot on his nose that Joe had just gently touched. Under normal circumstances, Nicky himself was very physically affectionate, however, Nicky was feeling very unlike his usual self.

Before he could fumble out a reply, a pair of wails came out from across the room. Nicky immediately tensed and his head whipped around towards the sound. Quynh was holding her two children in her arms as fat tears streaked down their faces. Without a word, both Joe and Nicky got up and went to see what was wrong.

She was wiping their tears away and trying to soothe them with softly spoken endearments. Yet they were inconsolable and continued to cry.

"What's going on?" Nicky asked as he crouched down on his knees. He gently stroked the twins' heads to comfort them. They slowly stopped crying but their faces were blotchy and red. "Does anything hurt?"

Quynh shook her head. "No, they're fine. It's just past their bedtime and they finally hit the wall. They haven't had a nap today either." 

Joe picked up Tien and cradled the exhausted little girl. She hiccuped a weak "uncle Joe" into his neck and smeared tears and snot into his suit jacket. He didn’t seem to mind at all. 

"Would you like us to take them up to your hotel room?" Joe looked at Nicky in solidarity and the other man nodded in agreement. 

"Oh my goodness, that would be amazing. Andy left just a minute ago to help Nile change out of her wedding dress into something more comfortable. I still have a few details to wrap up here and I can leave the rest to my assistant." Quynh reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a card key. "Their night time stuff is in the blue duffel bag. Thank you so much, you two."

Nicky got up from the floor with Tuan in his arms. He took the card from Quynh and adjusted the tired boy better against his shoulder. "We got this so don't worry, okay?"

She gave a knowing look between the two men. "I'm not worried." She pressed a kiss to both of her children. "Be good for uncle Joe and uncle Nicky."

Tuan sniffed and looked at Nicky. "Did you bring us any presents from Italy?"

"Of course I did. Didn't I promise the last time we talked on Zoom?" At the frown on Quynh's face, Nicky stuck out his tongue. "Don't take away my life's joy of spoiling your children." 

She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back. "I think some spoiling is fine but I'm pretty sure your default sending address on Amazon Prime is _my house_. Andy keeps threatening to have a garage sale to purge the mountain of toys. Especially the last one you sent." 

"What did you send them?" Joe asked.

Nicky smiled serenely. "A mini drum set."

"Ha!" Joe exclaimed in delight. He nudged Tien with his head. "My sweet, do you like playing the drums?"

She nodded her head and made a bashing motion with her hands against Joe's back. "I like playing it super loud."

Nicky was radiant in his pride. "That's my girl." 

  
  


********************

  
  


They made it to the hotel room without incident.

The initial tears and screaming in the banquet room were followed by tired limbs and heavy eyes. Both children clung to their respective charges as Nicky opened the door using the card key. They stepped into the dim room and assessed their next move.

The blue bag that Quynh had mentioned was on one of the two Queen sized beds in the spacious hotel room. Their toiletries were already laid out on the bathroom counter as well. Joe looked at Nicky over Tien's head. 

"Divide and conquer?"

Nicky nodded. "That seems like the best course."

Nicky took Tuan into the bathroom to help him use the toilet. He praised the little boy many times because he remembered Tuan had struggled with his potty training more than his sister. The four year old beamed as washed his hands in the sink. He then proceeded to show off to Nicky how he could squeeze his own toothpaste onto his toothbrush. 

Meanwhile, Joe had Tien changed into her Hello Kitty pajamas. Even though he had only known Nile and the rest of her extended family for about a year, the energetic girl had immediately latched onto Joe. She had him wrapped around her little finger and Joe absolutely loved it. 

Nicky popped his head out of the bathroom. "Ready to swap?"

Joe nodded and sent Tien over to Nicky. Tuan left the bathroom and came to Joe, asking for his My Little Pony pajamas. He pointed to the green dragon splashed across his shirt and announced that Spike was his favorite character followed by Rainbow Dash. 

After both children had used the toilet, brushed their teeth and changed, it was time to tuck them in for bed. As Nicky pulled the blanket over them, Tuan called out that no one had read them a bedtime story. He pointed to the duffel bag and requested one. His sister also voiced her desire for a book.

Nicky looked at Joe sheepishly. "One story probably couldn't hurt."

"You softie," said Joe as he reached into the bag and pulled out a book of short stories. He watched as Nicky took off his jacket and laid it across a chair. A few tugs to loosen his tie and Nicky was between the two children with the book in his hands.

Tien turned to Joe and asked, "Aren't you coming in, uncle Joe?"

He eyed the bed that was already quite full with three bodies and assessed the space. "I think I could fit if everyone squeezed together."

Joe also took off his jacket and placed it beside Nicky's. He tried his best to fit his long frame on the bed without falling off. That involved being on his side which had the bonus aspect of Joe being able to stare at Nicky's profile. He watched, enraptured, as Nicky's voice acted out the various characters from the story.

Sadly, the fun was spoiled for Joe by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He took it out to see who was texting him and saw that it was Rebecca from his work. If it was anyone else, he might have ignored it but he knew she would only call if it was an emergency.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I gotta make a phone call," Joe said as Tien and Tuan stuck their lower lips out adorably. "I promise I'll make it quick and come back."

Joe got up and slipped out into the hallway to call Rebecca. He tried to keep it short as promised but it ended up being a 20 minute conversation. He quietly opened the door and went inside, expecting to hear more story time.

Instead, all three occupants on the bed were fast asleep. 

Joe stood perfectly still so he could drink in the lovely sight. Nicky's fingers were slack against the book, laying open and forgotten. Tuan and Tien were both curled up against him, their arms thrown over Nicky's chest. Soft breathing was the only sound that could be heard in the room.

He walked as quietly as possible and sat on the chair facing the bed. Joe couldn't help but stare, marveling at the strange turn of events. He had expected some hijinks, maybe a drunk uncle or two, but this? Catching the bridal bouquet with a man who looked like someone only a dream could conjure, and not even an hour later reading bedtime stories to these precious children. Joe pinched himself to make sure he really wasn’t dreaming.

The hotel door clicked open and Joe turned to see who was coming in. He raised his finger to his lips when he saw that it was Quynh. Joe pointed at the bed and stifled the laugh that wanted to bubble up.

Quynh’s face turned soft at the sight of her twins, sleeping soundly while snuggling Nicky. She motioned at Joe to follow her back out into the hallway. Joe grabbed his jacket and did as she had motioned. She carefully closed the door behind her and then finally let out a sigh of relief.

“When did they fall asleep?”

Joe looked at his watch. “I’m not quite sure. I had to step out for a bit for a work call. I would say about 20 minutes ago?”

“I’m not surprised,” said Quynh as she started to feel her own exhaustion. “Andy and I have been up since an ungodly early hour to help with the wedding and the kids were caught up in that. As for Nicky, he’s been bouncing between airports for the past 48 hours. I’m surprised they all lasted this long.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” asked Joe.

She shook her head. “No, you two have already done so much. Andy said she will come check on us in a bit anyways.” Quynh grinned and nudged Joe on his arm. “The night is still young! You should go party. Now that Nile has changed into more comfortable shoes, she got her second wind and is dancing like there is no tomorrow.”

“What about you?”

Groaning, Quynh pointed down. “My feet are killing me. I am going to lay down a bit and enjoy a little peace and quiet.” She hugged Joe and started to shoo him toward the elevator. “Now go and make sure Booker doesn’t do anything ridiculous.”

Joe’s eyes darted back to the hotel room. The thought of going back to the reception without Nicky was not as attractive but he still had his best man duties to fulfill. “I doubt I can stop Booker from embarrassing himself. It’s in his DNA.” 

He gave her one more hug and then headed back down to the banquet hall. Quynh had been right about Nile getting a second wind. The DJ was pumping out songs and there was a very large crowd dancing with abandon. Nile and Booker were in the middle and as predicted by Joe, his best friend looked pretty clumsy when the music was more modern. He hoped the wedding photographer was getting all of this on film.

Walking back to the table that still held the bridal flowers, Joe picked up his unfinished champagne and drank it. The bubbles were mostly gone now but it reminded him of the short conversation he shared with Nicky.

Nicky with the mesmerizing eyes. Nicky with the shy smile. Nicky with a playful sense of humor. Nicky with a kindness and surety that made even crying children cease their tantrum. 

Joe picked up the bouquet and buried his nose into the fragrant petals. He closed his eyes and all he could see in his mind was Nicky’s sweet sleeping face. It was an image that was going to be with him for the rest of the night. 


	3. Chapter 3

Nicky woke up to an unknown ceiling.

He opened his eyes wider and still didn’t recognize anything familiar. Panic immediately set in and he bolted upright. Nicky’s eyes tore through the room, looking for something to ground him and stop the blaring alarm in his head. 

Then he spotted the blue duffel bag full of children’s belongings. Suddenly, the memory of last night came crashing into his brain.

“Good morning, sunshine!”

Nicky turned his head quickly to the sound of Andy’s voice and the look on his face must not have been ideal. The big smile on her face faltered and concern washed over her instead. 

“Nicky, are you okay? Is something wrong?”

He rubbed his face, trying to mask his disorientation and hoping that she wouldn’t notice the slight tremor in his hands. “Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. I just… got confused for a moment. Not used to waking up in a random hotel room.” With a gasp, he looked up in horror. “Oh no! I fell asleep during the reception! I’m so sorry!”

Andy sat down beside him and ruffled his hair. It was sticking out in all different directions, a truly magnificent bedhead. “You don’t need to apologize. Nile and everyone else knew how tired you were from the flights. I’m just grateful you and Joe were there to help with the kids.”

At the mention of the best man’s name, Nicky felt a slight tightening in his chest and groaned out loud. “I fell asleep on Joe too. Was he upset?”

“Of course not,” said Andy. “He stayed with you three until Quynh came back to the room. She told him to go back to the party so you don’t have to feel bad, okay?”

He was relieved to hear that the other man had not been terribly inconvenienced by his actions. Their first meeting had already been quite memorable that Nicky didn’t want to add more strangeness to it.

The hotel room door opened and Quynh came in with the twins. They saw that Nicky was awake and immediately ran to him. He laughed as they latched onto him like tiny bear cubs.

“Uncle Nicky! You’re awake! You fell asleep with us!” exclaimed Tien.

“Uncle Nicky! I want my presents now!” said Tuan.

“Tuan! That’s rude!” Andy reached over and tickled him until he begged for her to stop. “Now how do we say that nicely?”

Tuan was gasping for breath. “... can I please have my present?”

“Better.” Andy nodded and playfully pinched his side for good measure. “As for _you_ , uncle Nicky-” She jabbed her index finger in the air in the most threatening manner possible. “If you have gifted my children another musical instrument, I will personally drop you from the highest building in the city.”

Nicky was glad that the children provided a way to move the conversation along. Andy was usually quite observant and he didn’t want to answer any serious questions this early in the morning. Nicky put on his most bland expression and brushed off non-existent dust off his shirt. “Andromache, music is enriching for all children’s development. I merely wanted to facilitate this effort.”

Quynh laughed and put her arm around Andy’s shoulder. “Did you hear that, my love? Dear Nicolo is just thinking of our children’s best interests. You can’t fault him for that.” She winked at him for good measure to further tease her wife.

Andy threw her hands in the air in defeat. “I’m surrounded by uncultured heathens!” She jumped up and snagged the twins into a tight embrace. They giggled madly as Nicky also got caught up in the wrestling. 

“Okay, that’s enough, children,” Quynh said, clapping her hands to get their attention. “Uncle Nicky has some place he has to be so he needs to get ready.”

Nicky cursed silently and looked at the clock on the wall. How could he have forgotten he was supposed to meet with Nile and Booker at their house? They had planned to talk about Nicky’s stay at their house and give him a chance to ask any questions. 

“Relax,” said Andy. She could already see the tension creeping into his body language. “Their place isn’t that far from here. About a 20 minute drive. You have plenty of time to get cleaned up and call a cab.”

“Fantastic. That means I got time to go get the presents from my hotel room.”

The children cheered as Andy groaned and buried her face into the bed. She waved him away without moving. “Away with you!”

“I’ll be right back, okay?” Nicky smiled at the bouncing children. He grabbed his jacket and dashed out into the hallway. Once back in his own room, he opened his bag and looked for the presents. Despite Andy’s reservations, he had not purchased another percussion instrument for the kids. He had also remembered to pack Andy’s favorite baklava to smooth over any ruffled feathers from his last shopping spree. Quynh’s gift was also tucked in with the rest. He grabbed everything and made his way back to the other room.

Nicky was quite pleased with himself at the result. He had gotten the children a collection of books and toys (that didn’t require bashing) and the twins were very excited. Andy got her baklava and immediately tore the paper away to devour it. Gianna had helped him pick out Quynh’s present, a beautiful silk scarf that she immediately pulled around her neck and hummed with happiness.

“I might have to forgive you for those blasted drums,” said Andy, as she noisily enjoyed her treat. It never failed to amuse Nicky how obscene she sounded when eating her favorite dessert.

“That was the plan,” said Nicky cheerfully.

Quynh looked at the clock. “As much as I love spending time with you, we have your whole vacation to hang out. You should go so that you don’t miss Nile and Booker before they head to the airport.”

Nicky agreed. He gave hugs and kisses to everyone and promised that he would text for their next get together. The children got a little clingy but their moms coaxed them to let go of his pants. 

He ran back to his own hotel room and jumped into the shower again. He had more time than last night so that was a plus. After getting cleaned up, he packed his bags and checked out of the hotel. There was a row of taxis waiting in front of the lobby so he hopped into the next one and told the driver where to go. Then he sent a text to Nile.

 **Nicky:** _Nile, I’m so sorry I fell asleep at the reception. I’m incredibly embarrassed. I just left the hotel and I am headed to your house._

He only had to wait a moment until he got the response.

 **Nile:** _The only reason I can let this slide is because Quynh sent me this adorable pic. You should thank her for saving our friendship._ 😉😂😄

There was a photo attached to the text. It was the twins snuggled up to him while he was sleeping. He chuckled as he saved the image onto his phone.

 **Nicky:** _Thank goodness she got my best side. I hope I didn’t offend Booker with my lapse of consciousness._

 **Nile:** _Don’t worry about it. Booker thought it was hilarious and cute. He was just sorry that you missed the rest of the party but I assured him that you probably passed out to escape more dancing._

 **Nicky:** _How do you know me so well?_

 **Nile:** _Well, I did live with you for 4 years._ 😎😎😎

 **Nicky:** _The feeling is mutual. You’re lucky Andy and I didn’t spill all your dirty secrets at the wedding._

 **Nile:** _Oh she threatened to. But I reminded her I also know all HER dirty laundry too. How do you think I got her to wear a dress?_

 **Nicky:** _Smart. Very strategic._

 **Nile:** _Thank you, Thank you. And hey sorry but we’re leaving for the airport soon. I know you had questions but I think we need to prioritize meeting Noisette and Cooper first. You can always contact us if you need anything. Is that okay?_

 **Nicky:** _That sounds fine. Surely it can’t be that hard to take care of a dog and a cat._

 **Nile:** … 🙃🙃🙃

 **Nicky:** … _why am I getting a sinking feeling?_

 **Nile:** _It’s all good! I’ll see you when you get here!_

Nicky put away his phone back into his pocket with a little trepidation and watched the scenery go by. Nile was being cryptic but it really couldn’t be that hard. As for leaving the party early, he couldn’t deny that missing more dancing had been one of the perks. The bad part was obvious. He had missed out on a chance to talk more with Nile and Booker.

 _And Joe_ , his treacherous brain reminded him. 

He put his face in his hands as he remembered the bouquet toss. Nicky still couldn’t believe that had happened. Maybe it was the wine and champagne but the memory of the other man filled Nicky with an excitement he had never felt before. Before he could further analyze his feelings, the car was coming to a stop at his destination.

The house exterior was painted a bright cheerful green. The front lawn was well manicured and all the bushes looked newly trimmed. The double garage doors were a creamy white and the driveway had a basketball hoop on the side. There was a truck and a speedy looking coupe parked out front. 

He thanked the driver and unloaded his belongings. Slinging his smaller bag over his shoulders, he walked toward the house and rang the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened and Nile was enveloping him in a tight hug.

“Nicky! You made it! Come inside and I’ll show you around.” Nile took his bag despite his protests and ushered him inside. “Booker is getting the last of his stuff packed. We should have just enough time to do all the introductions before we leave.”

“When you say introductions, should I be doing anything in particular?” Nicky took off his shoes by the entrance and walked into the house. The interior was airy and bright with furnitures that were well chosen. Nicky whistled in appreciation. “This is quite a step up from our poor student days at the thrift store.”

Nile laughed and sat on the comfortable looking couch in the living room. “I've been making more money since my student days so I should hope this is an improvement. It also helps that I married a very sought after software engineer. I can quit and Booker can just be my sugar daddy.”

“Who’s a sugar daddy?”

They both turned to see Booker coming into the living room. Nile giggled and pointed at him. “That would be you. Who else did I marry?”

Booker chuckled. “You say that but I know you love your job.” He went over to Nicky and pulled him into a hug. “Glad to see you here, Nicky. Thanks for doing us a favor on such a short notice.”

Nicky was momentarily taken aback by the hug but then quickly returned it. Even though their interactions had been limited, it made Nicky happy that Nile’s husband was so easygoing. He had seen the deep camaraderie on display between Booker and Joe at the wedding. Nicky was grateful the same affection was being shown his way.

“I think it’s you two who are doing me a favor. Thanks for letting me stay for free.” Nicky sat on the matching loveseat while Booker flopped beside Nile. “I’m sorry to hear your usual pet sitter had to cancel but this works out great for me.”

“Save that sentiment after you’ve met them,” said Nile slyly. She nudged Booker on his side and grinned at his protest. “ _My_ dog Cooper is an angel. But you’re going to have an interesting time with Noisette.”

“I object to that. Noisette is a very classy lady and she’s only grumpy because your dog can’t stop himself from chasing her.”

“I told you, Cooper is a corgi. He is a herding dog! It’s in his nature to chase so we need to keep up with his training to break the habit.”

Nicky watched in amusement as Booker and Nile went back and forth about their previously individually owned pets. It was obvious that this was a well-worn conversation and he marvelled if this was a true case of “opposites attract”. He let it go for a few more minutes before coughing very obviously and pointing to his watch. “Aren’t you going to be late for the flight if we don’t hurry?”

“You’re right!” Nile looked at Booker. “I think we should start with Nicky meeting Noisette.”

He nodded in agreement and got up to get her. Nicky waited, slightly nervous now that he was finally here. When he accepted to look after the animals during their honeymoon, Nicky had a few moments of doubt. His family had pets when he was young but the bulk of their care was done by his mother. He was also quickly realizing that he had more experience with dogs than cats and the thought of meeting a finicky feline suddenly became more nerve wracking.

Booker came out of the main bedroom, cradling Noisette against his shoulder. She was a beautiful cat with a long fluffy tail. Her fur was a light brown color and Nicky remembered that her name meant hazelnut in French. Her eyes were a bright green color and she was staring at Nicky like he was an unwelcome intruder. Gently, Booker put her down on the floor and waited to see what she would do.

Nicky tried his best to emit as much positive energy as he could. He smiled with his lips closed and didn’t move a muscle in case he could startle her. Noisette stared at him before slowly approaching. She first sniffed his feet, then his pants before slowly walking around the loveseat. All the humans waited with bated breath as Noisette jumped onto the chair and smelled Nicky’s arms. Then she slowly walked over and laid down on his lap.

“Oh,” said Booker as he stared in shock. “That wasn’t what I was expecting.”

Nile threw up her arms in exasperation. “I can’t believe this! The first time Noisette met me, she hissed and tried to claw my eyes out!”

Booker walked to his wife and kissed the top of her head. “That’s because she knew you were about to take the #1 spot in my heart.”

Slowly and with much care, Nicky started to stroke Noisette. This was a good start but he wasn’t taking any chances. He didn’t want his eyes clawed out by an angry cat because he moved too quickly.

“Well, I guess that’s one less thing to worry about.” Nile shook her head, still amazed at the sight. “I’m still surprised though. Noisette pretty much only likes Booker. The rest of us, she just _tolerates_.”

The cat started to purr loudly as though to defy Nile and her assessment. She rolled her eyes and shot a dirty look at Nicky. “It’s not fair that she already loves you. You haven’t even fed her yet!”

Nicky put on his best innocent smile to tease Nile. “What can I say? I’m just that charming.” He looked around the house, a little confused. “Where is Cooper?”

Booker pointed to the glass doors that led to the backyard. “He’s out there because we thought it would be best if you met them one by one. It’s only been two months since we bought this house so they are still adjusting to the change.” He came over to Nicky and scooped up Noisette. “I’ll put her back in the bedroom so you can meet Cooper.”

When he walked away with the cat, Nile got up and beckoned Nicky toward the patio doors. There was already a very happy face sitting eagerly at the entrance. Nicky had seen pictures of Cooper but this was the first time meeting him. He knew that Cooper was about a year old so he was barely out of puppyhood. That probably explained why there was still on-going training for him.

Nile opened the door and Cooper rushed inside to greet Nicky. He was jumping and barking with joy while Nicky laughed at his antics. Nile was trying to get him to relax but he was too happy to make a new friend. After a few more minutes of frantic hellos, Cooper sat down and vibrated with barely suppressed excitement.

Nicky has seen corgis before but never this close. He knew that they were popular due to Queen Elizabeth but it was another thing to actually touch one. His fur was a mixture of white and fawn with large pointed ears. Those trademark short legs were proudly on display along with the biggest grin Nicky had ever seen on an animal. He stroked Cooper’s back and he was soft and warm to the touch.

Nile got on her knees and hugged Cooper to her chest. “I’m going to miss you so much, buddy! Please be good for uncle Nicky while I’m gone.”

The excited pup licked her face, eliciting giggles from Nile as she cuddled him even harder. After a few more pats, she got up and signaled to Nicky to follow her. She went into the kitchen and picked up a binder that was in the middle of the kitchen island. She handed it to Nicky. “I put together some information you might need while we are gone. Our wifi password, the pets’ routines, emergency contacts, etc.”

“I’m surprised it’s not color coded with highlighting.”

She slapped Nicky across the shoulder playfully. “Don’t mock my organizational skills! I did this to make your life easier while we are gone."’

“I’m sure everything will be fine. Please go and enjoy your honeymoon.”

“Oh, I will. I’ve been looking forward to this for ages!” Nile did a little dance and Cooper started jumping again in excitement. Nicky laughed at the adorable pair.

Soon, it was time for the newlyweds to head out. Nicky helped them carry their luggage to the driveway as a taxi was waiting for them. Booker was loading their bags into the trunk while Nile was giving a last hug to Nicky. 

“Please don't hesitate to call us if you have any questions. I know Booker is playing it cool but he’s going to miss Noisette.” Nile looked over her shoulder at her newly minted husband. “He treats that cat like a princess.”

“Well, now he can treat _you_ like a princess. Or shall I say queen?” asked Nicky.

“Queen, thank you.” They both laughed loudly and Booker looked over at them with a puzzled face. Then Nile looked at Nicky again with a more serious face. “Okay for real though, I want you to enjoy your vacation. You’ve had a hell of a year and you deserve to just do whatever makes you happy. So I took the liberty of stocking the guest room with some supplies.”

“Supplies?” Nicky’s face was scrunched up in confusion.

“You know, condoms and lube. In case you bring anyone back for some fun.”

Nicky started spluttering in shock at this statement. He thought Nile must be joking but her expression seemed to say the opposite. “Are you kidding me? I would never do that in your house! I’m a guest!”

Nile huffed and smacked his flailing arms before they could accidently hit her in the face. “Booker and I already talked about it. What are you going to be doing all alone in a house for a whole month? Go out and have some fun! And if you meet someone interesting and want to bring him back, we're okay with it.” Nile smiled slyly and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Just keep the sex to the guest room, okay?”

Face in his hands, Nicky groaned in embarrassment at the thought of his friend going condom shopping for him. It was just like Nile to want to meddle in his life this way. He looked at her with an accusing glare. “I thought you seating me with Copley and all your hospital colleagues was bad enough. This is way worse.”

“Hey, this is because I love you,” said Nile, with a casual shrug. “And I think a new job back in your old stomping grounds and some no strings attached sex could really perk you up.”

Nicky looked over at Booker as he finished carrying the last of the bags to the car. “Booker! Please take your crazy wife away before I go insane too.”

“Is this about the condom and lube she asked me to buy for you?” 

Jaw dropping, he turned back to Nile and gaped at her in shock. “You asked your husband to buy them?” Nicky demanded. Nile could barely hold herself together as Nicky turned a very bright shade of red.

“I just thought another guy would know better what to get!” 

Nicky started pushing Nile toward the car, her laughter infectious and loud. “You’re getting into that taxi before I rethink our friendship.”

  
  


********************

After he waved goodbye to his friends, Nicky headed back inside to assess his surroundings.

Cooper was his constant companion as he walked through the house. He had already seen the living room and the kitchen so that left a few more rooms to explore. He quickly found the guest room and took his bags inside to put his belongings away. There was a queen sized bed, a small desk with a matching chair, and even a couch in the corner that looked like the perfect place to read a book. He had his own bathroom that also connected from the hallway. 

There was a very impressive office filled with computer towers, monitors and bookshelves. Considering that Booker worked in software, it was not a surprise to see the sheer amount of technology present. The laundry room was conveniently placed in the mud room which also included a dog door that connected to the backyard. Nicky saw Cooper run in and out and marvelled how practical the set up was.

The final door led to the master bedroom. Nicky didn’t step foot inside, respecting Nile and Booker’s privacy, but he noted Noisette who was laying in the middle of the large bed. He made eye contact with her but the cat didn’t move. Slowly, Nicky closed the door but left it slightly open in case she wanted to come out after all.

Despite what Nile was thinking, all Nicky really wanted to do on his vacation was just relax. He had packed several books along with an extensive movie list. The idea of quiet days filled with his favorite media, food and adorable animals to pet seemed infinitely more enjoyable than “picking someone up for a good time.” 

Nicky grabbed the binder that Nile had made and sat on the couch to read it more thoroughly. He had teased her about it but the truth was that he was impressed with Nile’s sense of order. Back in their student days, Nicky could depend on her to be a thoughtful roommate who kept things quite tidy. The messy one had been Andy but it was technically her and Qunyh’s house so that had given her more leeway. 

There were detailed instructions on how to take care of the animals. The feeding times and amounts were pretty straight forward. Nicky already knew that Cooper was house trained and didn’t seem to need any instructions on when to go outside and take care of his business. The instructions got a lot more complicated when it got to Noisette.

_Ah, this must be what Nile meant by Booker spoiling her._

Nicky chuckled to himself at the painstaking detail that Booker had written on Noisette’s preferences. Everything from her favorite toy to her treats. There was also a very lengthy explanation on her automated litter box which confused Nicky greatly. He came to the conclusion that this was one very pampered cat.

It was still early in the day so Nicky decided to take stock of his supplies. _Not those supplies_ , he thought with a grimace. He went to the kitchen and started opening the refrigerator and pantries to see what he had to work with. Lucky for him, everything looked well stocked with the basics. Nile had even remembered his favorite cereal and coffee. He started making a grocery list of things he needed to supplement his future meals.

After a simple lunch, Nicky opened the binder again. It had suggested places that he could take Cooper on his walks. Nile had left the keys to the truck that had a built in dog crate for Cooper if he wanted to take him to any dog parks. Nicky decided that exploring the neighborhood seemed like a much safer way to start his walks with the excitable dog.

He poured some kibbles into Noisette’s bowl and made sure there was plenty of water. He found the dog leash and treat bag conveniently located by the door. Cooper was a frantic ball of energy because he knew exactly what was about to happen. Nicky clipped the leash on his collar and off they went to explore.

The surrounding houses were similar in design as Nile and Booker’s house. The weather was warm but not stifling. Cooper kept pulling at his leash but Nile had left strict instructions on not letting him pull like a sled dog. It was becoming obvious to Nicky why training was still an on-going process for them. He was probably a little generous with the treats but Nicky was very weak to sad puppy eyes.

The walk itself took about two hours. Nicky wondered if Cooper would get tired but the dog never seemed to run out of energy. He took note of all the landmarks along with planned destinations, such as the grocery store and a café. When they finally made it back home, Cooper made a beeline for the water bowl and messily slurped the liquid up. Nicky was relieved to see that Noisette’s food bowl was empty. That meant that she had left the master bedroom at some point.

His stomach made itself known and reminded him that the cat wasn’t the only one who needed to be fed. Even though it was a bit early for dinner, the change in time zones always messed with his eating habits. No meal planning had been done so a simple meal with a few ingredients was in order.

As Nicky started to put his ingredients on the counter to start cooking, he heard a loud crash and a howl of an angry cat. He looked up just in time to see Noisette running through the house with Cooper hot on her heels. 

He tried to dodge but she made a beeline for the kitchen. Unfortunately, that also meant Cooper was coming in too. Nicky tried to dodge out of the way but he stumbled and did the worst thing he could probably do and stepped on Noisette’s tail.

A screeching yowl came from the frantic feline. She ran even faster around the kitchen island and straight into the master bedroom. Before Cooper could chase after her further, Nicky picked up the dog and held him to his chest until Cooper stopped barking. 

“No, Cooper! Bad boy! Nile said no chasing Noisette around the house!”

The corgi’s ears drooped a little at his tone. All of his excitement at chasing the cat disappeared and was replaced with a submissive tone. Once Nicky was sure that Cooper wouldn’t dash off again, he put him back on to the floor gently. Then he slowly approached the bedroom where Noisette had run into and closed the door behind him.

She was nowhere in sight. The bathroom was open so he went in there to check. All he found was a clean and tidy space with Nile and Booker’s toiletries. He went back inside the bedroom and looked around where a cat could possibly be hiding. Nicky didn’t have to look long because at the sound of his footsteps, a hiss emanated from under the bed.

Hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake, he got on his knees and looked under the mattress. Even in the dimness of the space, he could see two glowing eyes staring back at him. She made a noise that made him hesitate trying to reach inside.

“Noisette… it’s okay. You can come out now. Cooper isn’t here anymore and I closed the door.”

Her response was to hiss at him. Nicky thunked his head on the floor, not sure what to do next. He saw the basket of cat toys by the bed and snagged one that looked like a fishing pole. Waving the toy back and forth, he hoped that it would entice her to come out so that he could check on her.

Noisette was not amused. She started yowling and howling in a very unsettling manner, as though she was in pain. Small licks of panic started working up into Nicky’s mind as he contemplated the possibility that he had hurt the poor cat. 

_This is only first day and I’m already fucking up._

He ran back to the living room and flipped through Booker’s instructions. Next attempt at coaxing Noisette from under the bed were treats. Then more toys. Nothing worked and she continued to audibly show her displeasure at him.

Now panic was set much further into his mind. What if he had broken her tail? He couldn’t confirm anything while she was still under the bed. Not for the last time, Nicky was cursing his clumsy self and lack of cat knowledge. In desperation, he went through the binder again and found the emergency contact.

Under the “pets” section, Nicky found what he was looking for. There was a card with a number to a veterinarian. He grabbed his phone and started dialing the number. A few ringtones went through before a pleasant voice spoke up.

“Hello and thank you for calling Northwest Veterinary Clinic. How can I help you?” 

“Hello, um, I was calling concerning a cat that is one of your patients,” said Nicky. “I believe her doctor is-”, he looked down at the business card, “Dr. Yusuf al-Kaysani.” 

“No problem. What is the name of the cat?” 

“Her name is Noisette,” answered Nicky.

“Oh! That’s Booker’s cat. Give me just one moment please, I need to put you on hold.”

Nicky answered an affirmative while wondering if most vet clinics knew the pet owner’s name to every one of their patients. Or perhaps Booker took Noisette in to see the vet so often that he was a familiar face. Either way, it had caught Nicky off guard that Noisette was a well known cat.

The elevator music to signal that he was still on hold stopped in a few minutes. A different voice came through the speakers.

“This is Dr. al-Kaysani speaking. How can I help you?”

Nicky froze. For a moment, he thought that he must be hallucinating because he knew that voice. Looking down at the card again to confirm the name, Nicky didn’t see a “Joe” anywhere on the piece of paper. But he had to ask.

“I’m sorry if I’m mistaken but… is this Joe?”

A split second of silence was broken by a familiar laugh. “Nicky? Is that you? Oh crap! Booker told me that Nile’s friend was pet sitting. So it was you! ”

Nicky couldn’t believe it. After his disastrous narcoleptic episode at the wedding reception, he assumed that meeting Joe again wouldn’t be very likely. What reason would they have to see each other again? It’s true they had mutual friends but their meeting had been so brief. Nicky planned a quiet vacation with visits from Andy’s family but not much else. So to hear Joe’s voice on the other line was shocking and unexpected.

“I don’t understand,” mumbled Nicky. “The emergency contact info that Nile left me said Dr. Yusuf al-Kaysani.”

“Oh yeah, that’s my full name. Actually, that’s not my _full_ name but we can get to that at another time. I’ve been going by Joe for most of my life so I’m not surprised this is news to you.”

Eyebrows furrowing, Nicky changed his grip on the phone and continued talking. “But they didn’t tell me you were their vet. You also didn’t mention it at the party.”

“Ah well, we didn’t get very far in our introduction, did we? Got interrupted by a pair of adorable troublemakers. Then you all fell asleep.”

Nicky winced in embarrassment. It was true. Their actual conversation after the bouquet toss had been a very short one. “I guess this explains why your receptionist knew about Noisette. Let me guess, Booker is a frequent customer?”

“That’s an understatement. I think he’s just using her as an excuse to dodge work meetings that he hates. And when he does have a legitimate concern, it’s over the smallest things.”

He tried not to laugh but Nicky couldn’t help himself. The thought of that brick of a man being reduced to a fretting pet parent warmed his heart. But he had other things to discuss of more importance.

“I hate to say this but I might have a legitimate concern,” said Nicky, dread dripping heavily from his words. “Cooper was chasing her through the house and I accidentally stepped on her tail. She’s hiding under the bed and won’t come out. She is also… making a lot of noises that makes me worry I broke something.”

“Can you get a visual on her?” asked Joe.

Nicky shook his head, although Joe would not be able to see that over a phone. “No. It’s fairly dark under the bed and I can’t get her to come out. I’ve tried all the toys and treats.”

 _Also, I think I’m about to have a panic attack because I broke my friend’s cat on the first day of my stay_.

Nicky didn’t voice that part out loud. Joe didn’t have to know.

“Okay, then how about we do this,” replied Joe. “My shift is over in about 30 minutes. Let me head over and I can take a look at Noisette. She might come out from under the bed for me.”

That offer stopped Nicky in his pacing, which he had been doing throughout this whole conversation. “Would that… would that be all right? I would hate to trouble you. Maybe I’m just overreacting…”

“No, you’re doing just fine, Nicky. You have a situation with an animal and you called her vet. This was the most logical thing to do. If you don’t mind, I can definitely swing by.”

Joe’s voice was so warm and calming to Nicky’s frayed nerves. He was once again reminded of how easy it was to speak with Joe. He swallowed his hesitancy and took up the offer. “I would be so grateful if you could come and check on her.” 

“You got it. I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

He hung up the phone after thanking Joe profusely. Nicky was still reeling a bit in surprise from their chat. The memories of the night before came flooding back and his face warmed in response. The bouquet toss, the light flirtation with champagne, and settling two small children in bed for the night. All of it was so precious and overwhelming. Now that same beautiful man was about to come into Nicky’s company again.

Breathing deeply, Nicky tried to release the tension that held his whole body into tight knots. He told himself that Joe was coming and there will be a solution. A quick assessment showed that the kitchen was still littered with the beginnings of a meal. Cooper was on his back on the couch, snoring away without a care in the world. He was utterly devoid of any remorse for the trouble he had caused Nicky. 

_Might as well keep cooking. It’s almost dinner time and maybe Joe will be hungry._

It was also a good distraction for Nicky. He always found cooking to be calming and enjoyable. Distraction from thinking about Noisette having a possible injury was greatly needed. He tried to think of the meditation exercises that Carla recommended but he was still feeling too flustered. 

The second cabinet that he opened held the large pot for boiling water. He found a large frying pan inside the kitchen island. His fingers moving efficiently, Nicky started chopping the bacon he discovered inside the fridge. Guanciale would have been the preferred version for a proper carbonara but Nicky was willing to improvise. 

He stopped his preparation when the doorbell rang. Cooper was off the couch like a bullet, barking with joy at the thought of a visitor. _He would not make much of a guard dog_ , thought Nicky. It took a moment but he washed his hands properly to get the raw bacon grease off. 

When he opened the door, Nicky was not expecting to see what met his eye. Perhaps a version of Joe in medical scrubs, he had thought. Instead, the other man was dressed casually in dark jeans with extra zippers, a white shirt, and a black leather jacket. He just screamed “cool and sexy.” Nicky gulped a little in apprehension.

“Hi Joe. Thanks for coming to help.” He stepped back so that Joe could come into the house. “I’m really sorry for inconveniencing you this way.”

Those beautiful dimples flashed again as Joe grinned. He came in and greeted Cooper enthusiastically without breaking eye contact with Nicky. “It’s my pleasure. I was hoping I could see you again. I just didn’t realize that Noisette was going to our next matchmaker.”

Nicky knew that he was blushing. He could feel his cheeks get hot as Joe casually took off his jacket. The white shirt did nothing to hide the lines of muscle underneath as his arms stretched up to reach the coat hooks. Nicky looked away before his thoughts would wander down even more dangerous paths. 

“She’s in the master bedroom.” Nicky started walking toward the room. “I’m pretty sure she’s still crying under the bed.”

They entered and sure enough, Noisette was still yowling to show her displeasure. Joe looked at Nicky and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I got this.”

Joe got on his hands and knees to look underneath the bed. If Joe’s back muscles made Nicky scream internally, the view of the other man’s backside in those jeans was positively criminal. Mentally kicking himself, Nicky forced his eyes away from the appealing sight and looked up at the ceiling. Surely the blank white surface would help him not remember what Nile had said about bringing men home. Not even a day had gone by before her prediction had come true although not quite the way she had imagined.

“Hey, Princess… how about you come out from there so I can take a look at you?”

“Princess?”

Joe looked up Nicky’s question. “Did Booker ever tell you how he got Noisette?” When Nicky shook his head no, Joe chuckled. “It was when we were still roommates. He found her by the bushes when he went grocery shopping. Someone had left her inside a box and she was screaming to get out. I was so surprised when I got home because it’s usually _me_ that brings home stray animals.”

Nicky was horrified. “Someone abandoned her? That’s so cruel!”

“Yeah well… lucky for this one here, Booker was her knight in shining armor. So thus… Princess. That’s my nickname for her.” Joe leaned back down again and made whistling noises at Noisette. “Come on, sweetheart. Stop putting Nicky through the wringer and come out.”

It took another 10 minutes of coaxing and endless endearments from Joe for Noisette to come out. Nicky wondered if Joe was that poetic and flowery for just cats or if humans could also benefit. When she poked her head out from under the bed frame, Joe scooped her up and held her to his chest. Nicky was worried for Noisette and wanted to get close but held back in case he spooked her. 

Handling her expertly, Joe kept whispering to the cat to soothe her while he ran his hands down her body. She still looked a little grumpy but the angry meowing had stopped. He paid special care to check her tail while Nicky bit his lips in apprehension. 

“Is she okay? Did I break anything?”

“It doesn’t look like it,” Joe said as he lifted Noisette up to his face. “Were you tricking poor Nicky? You know that’s not nice.”

She meowed in response and playfully batted at Joe’s cheeks. He put her down and they both watched her jump on top of the bed and start grooming herself. Nicky was relieved to see that she was whole but also thoroughly exasperated at himself. He turned to look at Joe and frowned. 

“Did that cat just pull a fast one on me?” asked Nicky.

Joe tried to look sympathetic but his amusement was very evident. “I’m sorry to say that yes, Noisette was being a total drama queen. But hey, at least she’s okay, right?”

Nicky sighed and rubbed his face in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, Joe. You had a full work day and had to come here to help me over nothing.” He was relieved but his chest still felt tight. 

“Don’t say that.” Joe stepped closer and took Nicky’s hands. Nicky held his breath as Joe slowly opened and massaged the clenched fists until the blood rushed back. “You were concerned for the welfare of an animal and asked the right person for help. As far as I’m concerned, you fulfilled your duty admirably.”

“Even though I’m the one who stepped on her tail?” Nicky released the breath he had been holding. He mentally forced himself to relax and that everything was going to be fine. 

“I totally blame Cooper for that fiasco. I warned Nile that he needed more regular training before moving in with Noisette. But she got so busy with planning the wedding and…” Joe shrugged as though to say it was out of his hands. “It will get better with time. They've only been cohabitating for a few months, not to mention this is a new house for both animals. Until then, I’m sorry to say you will have to play gatekeeper a bit better so that Cooper won’t keep harassing her.”

Shaking his head, Nicky frowned even more. “Nile and Booker wrote about it in their binder that the two animals were still acclimating. I just didn’t realize it was this sensitive. I know they usually have a professional pet sitter do this… maybe asking me for help was a mistake.”

Joe put his hands on Nicky’s shoulder. Surprised, Nicky looked up and saw a soft expression on the veterinarian’s face. “Nicky, you don’t have to be so hard on yourself. If you have questions about how to take care of them during this month, you can always ask me.”

That did put Nicky slightly at ease. If he had known that Joe was the vet to his furry charges, he would have asked for advice at the party. The twins having their meltdown had thrown a monkey wrench in more ways than one. But somehow it had worked out anyways so perhaps it was all meant to be.

Nicky was about to thank Joe for his kindness when a gurgling sound came out of Joe’s stomach. He grabbed his midsection and grinned at Nicky. “Sorry, I came here straight from work so no chance at dinner.”

Nicky finally smiled. “Then the least I can do in exchange for your help is to feed you.” 

  
  


********************

  


“Do you like Italian food? Any allergies?”

Joe watched the way Nicky's tense shoulders loosened in small increments as he cooked. When Nicky opened the front door, his face was pale and his eyes were clouded with worry. Looking for body signals had always been second nature to Joe and his skills were developed further by patients who couldn't speak words. He had tried his best to ease Nicky's worry and he was relieved to see the other man smiling again.

Joe was so engrossed in his thoughts that Nicky had to repeat his question. Shoving his inner dialogue aside, Joe smiled and answered Nicky.

“I love Italian food and I don’t have any allergies that I know of,” said Joe. He hoped that Nicky had not noticed his scrutiny. 

Nicky seemed oblivious to Joe’s gaze. He picked up where he had left off in the dinner preparations. The stove was turned on again to boil the water and the frying pan was set to warm up. Joe sat on the bar stool and leaned his elbows against the kitchen island. He watched, enjoying every moment, as Nicky moved smoothly through the cooking process.

“So what are we eating?” asked Joe.

“Carbonara. I don’t have guanciale so I have to substitute with bacon. I hope that isn’t a problem.”

“I have no idea what that is so sadly, I won’t know the difference,” Joe said, his voice apologetic. “But maybe you can make it for me again with the proper ingredients?”

Nicky looked up in surprise. “Perhaps reserve that idea until you’ve eaten my cooking. What if you don’t like it?”

“I doubt that,” snorted Joe. He pointed to how expertly Nicky was wielding his knife and moving in a new kitchen as though he had always belonged there. “Quynh told me of your cooking prowess. She still complains that they should never have let you go back to Italy.”

This statement greatly pleased Nicky. His schedule as a resident had been hectic but he enjoyed cooking for his roommates whenever he had a chance. Quynh was no slouch herself in the kitchen so it meant even more to him. 

Joe watched closely as Nicky cooked. He himself was not an expert in the kitchen but he was more than proficient. However, it became quickly obvious that Nicky was very much in his element. Joe put his chin on his hands and leaned forward. “Did somebody teach you how to cook?”

Nicky was stirring the bacon in the pan. He looked back quickly for just a moment while his hand continued to move. “Yes, my mother and my grandmother. I was taught along with my sister because they said cooking was an essential life skill.”

“You were raised by very wise women.”

“Yes,” chuckled Nicky, as he transferred the cooked pork to a plate to set aside. “I was very lucky to have such good role models.”

The rest of the preparation did not take long. Joe was impressed how quickly Nicky moved to bring all the ingredients together. Soon, Nicky was lifting delicious noodles that glistened with creamy egg sauce onto plates that had been warming in the oven. He placed it in front of Joe along with a fork.

“I hope you like it.”

Joe nodded thanks and lifted his utensil. He twirled the spaghetti and popped the pasta into his mouth. 

The moan that came out of Joe was positively inappropriate in polite company. The sound of extreme pleasure kept escalating with each mouthful. Nicky had to bite the inside of his cheek so he could stop himself from laughing. 

“I’m guessing you like it?” Asked Nicky. A small smile ruined the neutral face he was trying to keep.

“Like it? Are you crazy! I love it!” Joe took another bite and tossed his head back as though in ecstasy. He pointed his fork at Nicky and gestured emphatically. “Nicky, if you keep cooking like this, I’m going to have to increase my time at the gym once we get married.”

Nicky almost choked on his food. He put down his fork to get a glass of water. Once his air passage was clear, he looked at Joe with watery eyes. “Did you just say what I think you said?”

Joe was the picture of pleased satisfaction. Nicky was flushed red and he was enjoying the look. “Whoever catches the wedding bouquet is the next one to be married… and we _did_ catch it together.”

“That’s just superstition.”

“What? No sense of romance?” 

“I have a sense of romance,” replied Nicky. “But you barely know me so I think proposing marriage is a bit hasty, don’t you think?”

“So basically, you’re telling me if I get on my knees now, it will be a no?”

Nicky stared at Joe, his cheek twitching involuntarily at the balls of this man who could say such words with a straight face. _Actually, not really straight_ , thought Nicky. 

“I think most people would agree that getting hitched after just one day of acquaintance would be a bad idea,” said Nicky, very diplomatically.

“If the issue is the lack of familiarity, then that can be easily rectified,” offered Joe. When Nicky blushed again, Joe smiled at the adorable sight. 

He was having a lot of fun making Nicky a little flustered. It was only fair, Joe told himself, because Nicky was making _him_ feel hot under the collar. But then he remembered how tense and worried Nicky was while he examined Noisette. The way doubt and worry had left a shadow on Nicky’s face. Joe didn’t want him to feel that way.

“Hey, I have an idea,” said Joe.

“Yes?”

“How about I give you a hand with the pets? Even I have to admit Noisette and Cooper don't have the easiest dynamic. I can swing by after work or on my days off. What do you think?”

Nicky blinked in surprise. A vet offering his personal assistance was not something that Nicky could have imagined. He thought that pet sitting wouldn’t be too hard but there was a level of complexity here that caught him off guard. Accepting the offer was tempting… but he also didn’t want to be a bother to Joe. Surely he had better things to do.

Joe saw the battle of indecision playing across Nicky’s face. He smiled reassuringly to help. “You don’t have to decide now. Would it be okay if we traded phone numbers? Then if you want me to swing by or have any questions, you can call or text me.”

This seemed like a reasonable thing to do. Noisette had come away unscathed but Nicky’s nerves had not. The momentary panic he felt at the possibility of her injury was a harsh reminder. Having someone to reach out for help was a prudent thing to do. Or so Nicky told himself to justify the thrill of pleasure he felt as he entered Joe’s phone number into his contact list.

Joe got up and gathered the dirty dishes. Nicky protested, saying he was a guest, but Joe insisted on helping him clean. The work passed quickly and Nicky was surprised that he was a bit disappointed. Their fingertips brushed slightly as dishes were passed between them. Every time it did, a small jolt would go through Nicky and he looked away so Joe couldn’t see how affected he was by such a small touch. 

The task done, Joe dried his hands on a kitchen towel. He tipped his head toward the bedroom. “I’m going to check on Noisette one more time. Do you want to keep Cooper distracted while I do that?”

This seemed like a good idea so Nicky did as suggested. He was sitting on the couch, rubbing Cooper’s belly when Joe came back out of the bedroom. He closed the door behind him so that Noisette could relax without an overeager dog trying to chase her.

“My suggestion for tonight is to put Cooper in his crate for sleeping so that Noisette can have the run of the house at night. That way she can take care of her business,” suggested Joe. He pointed to the laundry room that housed the litter box. “Cats are nocturnal so she will enjoy that better anyways.”

Nodding an affirmative, Nicky took mental notes of Joe’s advice. When he mentioned the litter box, Nicky’s face scrunched up a bit and it was noticed. 

“Do you have any questions about the litter box?” Joe asked with a knowing grin.

“Yeah it’s… unusual. Booker left instructions but I have never seen a self-cleaning one before. It looks so… strange?”

“Well, that’s because Booker loves technology. It’s actually pretty easy to maintain but let me know if you have any questions.”

Nicky looked around and saw all the various machines that were sitting on the kitchen counter. He remembered all the monitors and computers in the office and understood what Joe meant by Booker liking “technology”.

Joe sat down on the couch on the other side of Cooper. The corgi rolled over so that his belly could be reached by both humans. Joe humored him by rubbing the furry surface, his hands also brushing by Nicky’s. “So do you have any plans other than pet sitting?”

“Ah, not much really,” said Nicky. He stopped talking and looked away toward the windows facing the back yard. “I’ve had a stressful year and I left my job a few months ago. My main plans were to come for Nile’s wedding and take care of the pets. Read some books. Watch some movies. Nothing too… eventful.”

Joe watched closely as Nicky’s expression started to look distant and sad. Neither of those were what he wanted.

“Nicky.”

Nicky turned and Joe gave him a gentle smile. “Like I said before, you don’t have to feel any pressure to accept my idea. If all you want is to have a relaxing time at the house, there is nothing wrong with that. I just wanted to offer you my help since a month is a long time.” Joe rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepishly. “And for purely selfish reasons, I would love to spend more time with you.”

He could feel the heat creeping up his neck and to his cheeks again. Nicky cursed his inability to keep a poker face. Andy had enjoyed taking his money whenever they had played cards because Nicky could never hide it when he was flustered. And Joe made him feel very flustered.

“Thank you, Joe. I really appreciate your kindness, especially since we only just met yesterday.”

Those irresistible dimples flashed again and Nicky had to remind himself to breath normally. “It’s no trouble,” said Joe. He pointed at Nicky and back at himself. “After all, it’s not everyday that you meet your future husband at someone else’s wedding.”

Nicky put his face in his hands, unable to keep a straight face at Joe’s joke. Or he thought it was a joke. Nicky wasn’t sure. When he heard Joe’s laughter, he looked up again and gave his best impression of a disapproving frown. “You are incorrigible.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Joe said, as he continued to grin at Nicky without any shame. Then with a final pat on Cooper’s belly, Joe got up from the couch. “I’ll take my leave. I’m sure you’re still tired from the jet lag and need to rest.”

Nicky got up and followed Joe as he grabbed his jacket and put on his shoes. Cooper followed along, already looking sad that Joe would be leaving. The vet petted him on the head and tried to sound stern. “Be a good boy, Cooper. Stop chasing Noisette and making it hard on Nicky.”

The corgi barked and licked Joe’s hand. Nicky hoped that Cooper would obey but he wasn’t willing to put money on it.

“I’ll see you around, Nicky. Like I said, if you need any help or just someone to hang with, let me know.”

“Thank you, Joe,” said Nicky. The rest of the words he wanted to say died in his throat when Joe leaned close and brushed his cheek against him. The neatly trimmed beard scratched pleasantly against Nicky’s face as he felt just the ghost of lips trail on his skin. Joe repeated the gesture on the other cheek. When Nicky stood frozen, Joe lifted an eyebrow in question.

“Isn’t this how you say hello and goodbye in Italy? Or did I get that wrong?”

Nicky broke out of his stupor at the question. ‘Yes, um… that is one of the ways to do that.” _I just wasn't expecting it_ , thought Nicky.

“That’s good,” Joe said as he put the leather jacket on. “You have a good evening, Nicky.”

He opened the door and gave a little wave. Nicky’s hand shot up and he also waved back in goodbye. The last thing he saw was that irresistible smile on Joe’s face before the door closed with a click. 

Cooper looked up at Nicky and whined. His ears drooped slightly and his whole body language seemed to say, _I miss him already._

Nicky was surprised to realize that he felt the same as Cooper.


	4. Chapter 4

Nicky woke up to a warm weight on top of his chest.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the sunlight streaming in through the windows. The source of the heat was shown to be Noisette, who had decided that Nicky’s chest was an ideal place to sleep. Nicky gently stroked her fur, which produced a rumbling purr that reverberated through his torso. Perhaps this was her way of apologizing for the previous night.

Once out of bed, Nicky let Cooper out of his crate and watched him bolt out of his doggy door to take care of his morning business. As per instructions, Nicky filled both pets’ bowls with food and fresh water and then contemplated what to do for the day.

His morning coffee was the first order of business along with a light breakfast. Nicky reminded himself that he needed to finish his meal planning and grocery list. He had gotten a text from Quynh about coming over next week with the kids and Nicky was excited at the prospect. Humming under his breath, Nicky spent most of the day and afternoon running errands and reading a book.

The trouble started again later in the day. As it started to approach dinner time, Noisette bent over and started hacking and coughing. Nicky stopped in his tracks, staring in concern as the cat heaved and nothing came out. He didn’t grow up with cats but Nicky wasn’t totally ignorant. There had been enough cat owners in his life that he heard many tales of gross hairballs and vomit. But as he watched Noisette go through her motions, there was nothing coming out.

Nicky told himself not to be alarmed and that this was probably semi-normal. However, she kept doing the same motions of coughing and heaving every ten minutes or so. During her third hacking fit, Nicky started googling the symptoms and the results did not please him.

Everything from gastrointestinal disease, acid indigestion and respiratory illnesses jumped out of the screen. He started watching YouTube videos titled “THIS IS WHAT YOU CAT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT’S HAVING AN ASTHMA ATTACK!” and trying to compare it to Noisette. The further he went down the rabbit hole of research, the worse the prognosis got.

_Maybe I should call Joe._

Nicky immediately squashed the thought. He had already bothered the kind vet and he wasn’t going to do that again. 

Then Noisette started having another episode and wheezing loudly.

His fingers flew rapidly over the screen as he selected “Joe” in the contact list and hit the call button. He rubbed his hand over his eyes while the dial tone rang. On the third ring, Joe picked up.

“Hi Nicky!”

The greeting was full of joy and surprise. It made Nicky feel even worse that he was doing this but he didn’t know what else to do.

“Hi Joe. Um… I hate to say this but… I think Noisette has a problem.” The ornery feline stared at him with her baleful green eyes. “She keeps coughing and seeming like she needs to throw up but nothing comes out. It also sounds like she is having trouble breathing. What should I do?”

Joe asked some basic diagnostic questions and Nicky answered it as best as he could. After further discussions, Joe suggested that Nicky bring her into the clinic to better assess her.

“But I’ve already bothered you yesterday,” said Nicky as he paced the living room. “I feel terrible about this.”

“Nicky, it’s really alright. If she is having real respiratory issues, it’s safer to diagnose it now.”

Sighing, Nicky agreed and hung up the phone. Noisette was currently sitting on the top of her cat tree (or as Nicky liked to call it, her Luxury Hotel) while Cooper was lounging on his dog bed. They were behaving themselves. For now.

The binder that Nile had left had instructions on where the pet carrier was located and how to get the cat into it. Booker summarized it as a “Noisette Burrito,” involving a towel and very swift sure movements. Nicky wasn’t looking forward to that but it sounded better than getting his arms bloody and torn from an angry cat.

Following the GPS on his phone, Nicky arrived at Joe’s vet clinic and went inside. He was cheerfully greeted by a woman wearing unusual scrubs. It took Nicky a moment to realize the animated character that was drawn all over her uniform was Tinker Bell. He shook himself from staring too long and said hello back.

“Hi. I’m here to see Dr. al-Kaysani about Noisette.”

“Oh, you must be Nicky! Joe told us that you’re pet sitting for Booker on his honeymoon.” She extended her hand out. “My name is Rebecca. I’m one of the vet techs here. Nice to meet you.”

Nicky shook her hand. “Nice to meet you too. I’m sorry for the short notice.”

“That's not a problem. We always make room in the schedule for emergency cases. You’re actually his last patient of the day so please take your time.”

Looking around the waiting room, Nicky spotted a chair that looked comfortable and sat down. Noisette meowed mournfully inside the carrier. Peering inside, Nicky could see her cute face scrunched up against the metal wire door.

“Sorry, Noisette. Joe will see you soon, okay?”

They only waited a few minutes before Rebecca called them in. Trying not to jostle her too much, Nicky carried Noisette and followed the vet tech inside. The clinic was painted in bright cheerful colors and there was a general hum of activity. He had seen a sign in the waiting room listing all of the various doctors and other staff members. It looked like Joe was one of four veterinarians available, which explained the many rooms.

Rebecca opened a door with the number six painted on the front and she beckoned Nicky inside. “Joe will be here soon. You can take a seat and get comfy.”

“Thank you again.”

She waved him goodbye and closed the door behind her. Nicky didn’t know what else to do so he sat down and looked around. The room was very clean and brightly lit. There was a computer monitor mounted on the wall with a keyboard below it. Glass jars full of treats were placed by the sink and framed pictures of dogs and cats decorated the walls. It felt comfortable without feeling too clinical.

The door across the room opened and Joe came in. His face lit up at the sight of Nicky. “This is the third day in a row that we are meeting. I really think that you can stop using Noisette as an excuse to see me.”

Nicky flushed at this statement. He watched Joe pick up the cat carrier and place it on the table. The door was opened and Noisette sprang out and tried to escape. She was foiled by Joe’s quick reflexes and she yowled in protest as he petted her. Softly murmuring to her, Joe coaxed her into opening her mouth and peered inside.

“What are you doing?” Nicky asked, curious as Joe went into work mode.

“First, I’m checking to see if there is anything blocking her throat.”

Noisette meowed in protest as Joe went through his mental checklist for diagnosis. He checked her again one more time to be sure and didn’t find anything alarming.

“Well, I didn’t find anything obvious so I think we need to take an x-ray just to make sure.” When Nicky made a concerned face, Joe smiled reassuringly. “This is pretty routine. And don’t worry about the bill, I’ll just charge Booker. Be right back!”

Joe left the room with Noisette in his arms. Nicky didn’t know what to do so he sat back down and played with his phone. After about thirty minutes, Joe came back with a groggy feline. She was still a bit sleepy from the sedation and Joe was able to put her back into the carrier easily.

“Okay, as far as I can tell, she seems fine,” said Joe. 

Relief washed over Nicky. But then confusion set in. “Then why was she hacking and coughing like that?”

“I am honestly not sure, Nicky. That is one disadvantage of having animal patients versus humans. Sometimes it’s a guessing game. I think the best thing to do is just keep a close eye on her.”

Nicky ran his hands over his face while sighing. When he looked back up, Joe was grinning. He really couldn’t help but feel embarrassed that he had bothered Joe again because of his anxiety over Noisette. “I’m sorry I wasted your time again.”

“It was definitely not a waste. I got to see you again and this was the highlight of my day.”

“Maybe I can...” Nicky paused and licked his lips. Joe’s eyes flickered down to see the small motion. “I was planning to make dinner and watch a movie tonight. Maybe I can pay you back with dinner again?”

Joe perked up immediately at this offer. “I would love that. Can you wait about 15 minutes? I didn’t bring in my car today so maybe I can get a ride with you?”

“Oh. Of course,” said Nicky, fumbling a bit in surprise. He had not anticipated such a quick response. But then Rebecca’s comment that Noisette was the last patient of the day clicked in. 

“I’ll get changed and get my stuff,” said Joe, a happy skip in his step as he left the room. 

Nicky looked down at Noisette’s carrier and saw that she was staring at him with sleepy eyes. She was also looking very satisfied and content. 

_What are you up to, kitty cat? Are you missing your dad #1 so you’re getting your dad #2 to spoil you?_

Almost as though she was reading his mind, Noisette meowed happily and licked her paw. Nicky shook his head at his own delusions and waited for Joe.

When the vet came back he was dressed in normal clothes, this time a blue shirt that stretched and clung to his pectoral muscles in the most pleasant way. Nicky's mouth ran dry again at how attractive Joe was even wearing the most basic fashion.

"Shall we?" Joe asked as he picked up Noisette’s carrier.

"After you."

They pushed through the door and went out into the hallway. Passing by the reception area, Joe waved Rebecca goodbye and Nicky followed suit. Her eyebrows went up slightly at the sight of them leaving together but no commentary was made. 

Noisette was safely loaded into the car and the humans got into their respective seats. They chatted easily while Nicky drove them back to the house. Movie choices were considered and they both agreed the director's cut of "The Lord of the Rings" would make a fine viewing. 

After comfortably settling Noisette in the house and making sure that Cooper would not harass her, Nicky started dinner. Joe offered to help but it was declined, so he sat at the kitchen island again, enjoying the view of a very beautiful man in his comfort zone. 

It surprised Nicky again how easy it felt to be with Joe. To be fair, his dating history was pretty spotty and his job made it challenging so there wasn’t a lot to compare to. But even Emilio, his longest relationship by far, didn’t compare to the sense of comfort he felt with Joe. Or the thrill. While cooking, he would sneak glances at the other man and seeing those warm brown eyes crinkle in mirth made Nicky’s stomach clench in response. He felt like an overeager teenager again.

Like before, Joe rained praise after praise on Nicky’s cooking. Blushing slightly, Nicky demurred it was just a simple dish but Joe would not have it. He also was firm in that he would clean up since Nicky had done the cooking.

Without any more work to do, Nicky wandered back into the living room to figure out Booker’s insane entertainment setup. He had to check the binder that Nile had left again because the sheer amount of electronics was going over his head. By the time that Nicky had figured out how to turn everything on, Joe was done cleaning and coming over with a bowl of popcorn.

“I see you successfully navigated Booker’s audio setup. You have my profound admiration,” Joe said as he plopped down beside Nicky. He gently pushed Cooper’s nose away from the bowl as the corgi begged for a treat. “I honestly don’t know what Booker would do without technology. I tried taking him camping once and that didn’t go so well.”

“Did he go crazy without all his devices?”

“No, the problem was he brought a bunch of devices… just smaller and more portable versions. I’m trying to convince Nile to take him somewhere in the middle of nowhere and _conveniently forget_ his bag of tech.”

Nicky laughed and a small snort came out that was incredibly endearing to Joe. “That sounds like something Nile would do,” said Nicky. “Then she would make him hike the side of a mountain.”

“I love this idea,” exclaimed Joe. “As soon as they are back from their honeymoon, I am going to scheme with her.”

After a few more jokes about their friends’ “opposites attract” nature, they finally started the movie and settled in. They had both seen the theatrical release but it was the first they either of them had seen the extended version. Joe made an amusing running commentary as the movie progressed and Nicky couldn’t stop laughing at his jokes. And even though he knew it was coming, Nicky still jumped in alarm when Bilbo saw the ring with Frodo. Joe teased him mercilessly and Nicky threw popcorn at him, which Cooper happily snapped up when it hit the floor.

Nicky didn’t realize how long the movie was until he checked the time. He apologized to Joe. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize how late it was getting. You have work tomorrow, yes?” 

“It’s not a problem. Time flies when you’re having fun.”

And it _was_ fun. Probably the most fun Nicky had in years. Before he could lose his nerve, he spoke up. “So… would you be interested in seeing the other two movies? It would be a shame to just stop at the first.”

Joe immediately agreed to the offer and they made plans. He would swing by the house after work and they could have dinner and a movie again. Since the movies were so long (the second and third one being even longer than the first), they decided to space it out over two days.

The second night, Joe came over with an appetizer as his contribution. Nicky loved the charcuterie spread that Joe had bought and they started off the evening with finger food. But the third night, Joe came over with wine bottles and a tightly sealed plastic bowl.

“I hope you don’t mind but I brought a red and a white.” Joe lifted the bag with the glass bottles. “I didn’t know which one you preferred.”

“I love both so this works out perfectly.” Nicky pointed to the mysterious bowl. “And that?”

“Oh, this is a surprise. You’re going to have to wait.” Joe grinned, flashing those deadly dimples again. 

Nicky couldn’t help smiling back. “You’re lucky I am a patient man.”

As what had now become a routine, Joe would watch Nicky cook, devour everything that was made with gusto and insist on cleaning up. It was becoming a routine that Nicky enjoyed. Watching Joe singing random songs while he cleaned, petting Noisette when she came to investigate, it was all so very… satisfying.

By this point, Nicky was used to Booker’s setup. He was getting everything ready when he started to smell something delicious. He looked over at Joe, who was still in the kitchen. Usually he would be done cleaning by now so Nicky was surprised. Then he heard a timer go off and watched Joe open the oven door.

The mysterious item that Joe had brought over was revealed to be chocolate chip cookie dough. Joe brought everything over to the living room along with the red wine. They had already finished the bottle of white with dinner and Nicky was still pleasantly buzzed.

“I can’t cook like you but I can make a pretty good chocolate chip cookie.” Joe offered the plate of the fresh cookies and a glass of wine. “I have tomorrow off so nothing will stop me from indulging.”

Nicky graciously accepted and took a bite of the cookie. The outside was lightly crispy but the inside was warm and soft. An involuntary moan came out before Nicky could stop himself.

Joe grinned. “Good?”

“This is better than good. It’s positively indecent.” Nicky shook his head, feeling a little silly. “I have to admit this feels really self-indulgent. Drinking wine, eating desserts and watching a movie… I feel like I’m back in my college days.”

Swirling the red wine before taking a long sip, Joe chuckled at this thought. “I don’t remember my college years being this refined. I think Booker and I were into way more crass things than this.” He ate another cookie, eating the whole piece at once. “Besides, this is your vacation. I think you deserve to let your hair down, figuratively speaking.”

Nicky toasted Joe with his wine. “To my hedonistic self, at its finest.”

“Here, here!” 

They started playing "The Return of the King" and realized that the extended version was over four hours long. By the halfway point of the movie, they had already finished the whole bottle of wine and almost all of the cookies. Joe declared that it was perfectly acceptable to raid Booker’s wine stash because they had “an agreement” as former roommates and by the time the end credits were rolling, they were both quite drunk.

Waving his hands madly in the air, Joe was gesticulating at the screen, saying, “why did they not ask the eagles for help from the start? They could have saved Frodo and Sam from all that bullshit!” 

Nicky was almost rolling off the couch from laughing. “Because how else could they make three movies?”

“I knew it! It’s capitalism!”

Doubled over and holding his stomach, Nicky was laughing so hard he was crying. Cooper was barking, not understanding why everyone seemed so excited but he wanted to join. Noisette was sitting on her cat tree across the room, looking at the three of them with disapproval.

Once they finally calmed down, both men sat on the couch and enjoyed the silence. They would sneak glances at each other, which would prompt another set of laughing. Their fun was spoiled when Nicky looked at the clock and realized it was extremely late. 

“Oh no, Joe… I’m sorry. I kept you here late again.”

“Don’t apologize. I had a great time.” Joe stretched his arms and started evaluating how inebriated he felt. “I don’t think I should be driving though. Let me call a ride and I can come pick up my car tomorrow in the morning.”

Nicky wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the sugar but his mouth started moving before he could help himself. “Or you could stay.”

Joe blinked. He wasn’t quite sure he had heard that correctly. “Stay here? Overnight?”

Shrugging, Nicky pointed to the guest room. “I mean, taking a cab now and then having to come back in the morning sounds like a hassle. You can crash there if you want. I can sleep here on the couch.”

Shaking his head, Joe replied, “No, I am not taking your bed away. If you don’t mind me crashing for the night, I’ll take the couch. Besides-” Joe picked up Cooper and started snuggling him. “I got a great bed warmer right here to keep me company.”

The corgi immediately settled on to Joe’s lap like a giant cat and started licking his face. Nicky was hit with an incredible urge to take a picture of the adorable duo but stopped himself.

“Okay then… let me get you a blanket and pillow. I have an extra set of toothbrushes too.” He got up and still felt a little dizzy from the wine.

“Whoa you okay there, champ?” asked Joe. “Do I need to carry you back to your bed?”

Rolling his eyes, Nicky pointed at Joe. “Look who’s talking. You had more wine than me.”

Joe held up his hands in surrender. “You got me. I can’t refute that.”

Even though they were both still tipsy, they managed to do basic things like drinking some water and getting ready for bed. Nicky had brought out extra bedding and Joe had made a nice little nest for himself on the couch. Cooper was already waiting, burying his nose under the blanket and wanting to sleep beside Joe.

“Goodnight, Nicky. Thanks for the fun movie night.”

“And goodnight to you, Joe.”

  
  


******************

  
  


Joe woke up when he heard the yell.

He grabbed his phone that was on the coffee table and unlocked it. The digital numbers burned their brightness into his retina. 3:18 AM. And Cooper was nowhere to be found.

Wondering if he had just dreamed it, Joe settled back into the couch when he heard the voice again. This time it was a low moan followed by words he couldn’t make out. It was coming from the direction of the guest bedroom.

Swinging his legs over the couch and getting up, Joe got his bearings and started walking through the house. It was dark but there was enough ambient lighting that was set on a timer thanks to Booker’s smart tech obsession. He approached the door where Nicky should be sleeping and knocked.

“Nicky… are you alright?”

The door was already partially open and Joe could see a little into the room. When there was no answer except for a groan, Joe opened the door all the way and entered.

The first thing he saw was that both Noisette and Cooper were in the bed with Nicky. That was already a strange sight when Joe noticed that Nicky was tossing and turning, the blanket twisted between his limbs. He was groaning and saying something in Italian. Both animals seemed to be hovering instead of running away, their body language saying they were on alert.

Joe tried to gently shake him awake but it didn’t work. Nicky started moaning louder and his arms started thrashing. Dodging the flailing limbs, Joe grabbed Nicky’s shoulder and shook him.

“Nicky! Wake up!”

With a shout, Nicky bolted up. He was disoriented and fought Joe, not realizing what was going on. 

“Nicky, it’s okay! It’s me, Joe!” 

Gasping and swallowing large gulps of air, Nicky stared at Joe, not immediately recognizing him. He wiped his face with shaking hands and his voice was strained when he finally spoke.

“Joe, I’m so sorry,” said Nicky. He could feel his body trembling. “I’m okay, really. I’m sorry I woke you up.”

Without a word, Joe wrapped his arms around Nicky. It surprised him and his body was momentarily stiff in Joe’s embrace, but the warmth and the now familiar scent of Joe relaxed him. Feeling boneless, Nicky slumped into the other man’s hold and encircled his arms as well.

His mouth by Nicky’s ear, Joe spoke quietly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Nicky didn’t. He didn’t want to talk about his dreams of the water and the screaming. A part of him felt so despondent. It had been weeks since he had his last nightmare and he thought he had it beat, but this incident felt like a setback. He shook his head, burying his face into Joe’s neck, unable to stop the tears from coming out.

Pulling back, Joe looked at Nicky. His eyes were red and his eyelashes were clumped together with moisture. Even though Nicky had not spoken a word, Joe could see the abject misery on his face. It broke Joe’s heart and he found himself leaning in and pressing his lips against Nicky’s closed eyes, feeling those wet eyelashes flutter.

“Okay. But if you ever want to talk about it, I’m here.”

Shaking his head, Nicky couldn’t stop saying his insecurities out loud. “You’ve barely known me a week Joe… I’m so sorry about this…”

“Shhhh…” Joe placed a thumb on Nicky’s lower lip to stop further apologies. “You have nothing to feel bad about.”

Their faces were so close and for a split second Joe thought of kissing Nicky. The temptation was so high but he hesitated. Then the doubt was washed away when Nicky leaned in and kissed Joe first.

It was a bit clumsy. The room was dark and they were sitting awkwardly on the bed. But Joe adjusted the angle and soon they were kissing deeply, exploring each other with their tongues.

Once they broke away, they were both a little out of breath. Nicky covered his face with his hands again, shocked at his own self. “Joe, I… that was really forward of me. I’m sorry, I should have asked.”

“Did I seem like I disliked it?” Joe asked. He cupped Nicky’s face and kissed his tear stained cheeks. “You need to stop apologizing. I’ve wanted to kiss you since we caught the bouquet together.”

Nicky was glad the room’s darkness hid the blush that was surely lighting up his face. He still felt a little jittery but he wasn’t sure if it was from the nightmare or Joe’s kisses. Maybe it was the lack of light that deepened the sense of intimacy, but Nicky found himself feeling brave. 

“Do you think… you could stay?”

Joe tipped his head to the side, feeling surprised. He wasn’t worried whether they were moving too fast because he felt like Nicky had grabbed a hold of his heart the moment they met. But still, Nicky had just woken up from a nightmare and he didn’t want to assume anything.

As Joe still hadn’t answered, Nicky waved his hand in a quick gesture of embarrassment. “Oh, I just mean… do you think maybe… we could…” He trailed off, his face feeling hot again.

“Snuggle?” asked Joe.

“That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

“No way,” said Joe, his teeth flashing in a smile that Nicky could see even in the dim room. “I’m an amazing snuggler.”

Nicky and Joe settled into the bed with Joe spooning Nicky from behind. He wrapped his arms around Nicky’s waist and buried his nose into the soft silky brown hair. An involuntary sigh came from Nicky, sounding deeply satisfied.

“Cozy enough for you?” Joe asked, his warmth radiating into Nicky’s back.

“Extremely. I think I will be able to sleep again without dreams.”

“Hmm,” mumbled Joe, feeling his sleepiness again creeping in. “Goodnight, Nicky.”

“Goodnight, Joe.”

Nicky closed his eyes, not quite believing what was happening was real but enjoying it. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so safe and comfortable. Then he felt something on the bed and he cracked his eye open.

Cooper and Noisette had jumped on to the bed from opposite sides. The corgi moved first and settled in between Nicky and Joe’s feet. The cat watched carefully until the canine was fully settled in. Still looking a bit wary, Noisette curled up against Nicky’s chest, her tail swishing. When Cooper didn’t move at all, she finally fully relaxed and burrowed into Nicky and started to purr.

Surrounded by the warmth of Joe and the two animals, Nicky fell into a dreamless sleep.

********************

  
  


Nicky woke up to a warm weight again, this time on his chest and his leg.

He looked down and saw Noisette draped on his chest and Cooper laying along his leg. He marveled at the fact that both animals had stayed through the night.

The only missing element was Joe.

Apologizing to the feline, Nicky picked her up and deposited her onto the bed. She meowed, making her displeasure clear. Cooper was still snoring when Nicky got up to search for Joe.

The man in question was in the kitchen, whistling a tune while cooking something. When he turned around and saw Nicky, he absolutely beamed. 

“Good morning, Nicky!”

“Good morning.”

“That’s quite a bedhead you have.”

Nicky reached up and felt his hair pointing out in various directions. “Nicely tousled?”

“Extremely.” 

Joe turned back to the stove and gave the eggs one last stir before plating them. They joined the bacon and toast that were already cooked. He handed the food and a cup of coffee to Nicky. “I’m not an expert chef like you but I hope my breakfast is decent.”

Nicky’s stomach gurgled in reply. Blushing, he ducked his head as Joe laughed. It was a welcome sound and Nicky didn’t think he would ever get sick of hearing it.

They ate in companionable silence. The food and the coffee did wonders for Nicky’s mild hangover. Not for the last time, he reminded himself he wasn’t that young anymore. Drinking that much wine was going to have consequences. He tried to steal a glance at Joe but when he looked up, their eyes met and Nicky was feeling flustered again. But he still had to say what was on his mind.

“Um… so… Joe…” Nicky started to talk. “About last night. I just want to thank you. I sometimes get really vivid and bad nightmares and it was kind of you to check on me.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m sure you would have done the same for me.”

Nicky nodded, agreeing to this assessment. He swallowed another bite of eggs before speaking again. “And about… what happened between us…”

“You mean our kiss?”

Joe was smiling, those dimples that Nicky loved showing prominently. He had to shake himself mentally not to get sucked in by how adorable Joe looked. “Yes, about that. I just want to make sure we don’t have any misunderstandings.”

It took a moment of thinking before Nicky started speaking again. “I’m only here for a few more weeks before I go back to Italy. And I… I really like you, Joe. I haven’t dated in a while and I honestly don’t know what you want from this but… I am not a casual person.” Nicky was wringing his hands in his lap, not wanting to say it but feeling it was necessary. “I know I kissed you but maybe it’s best if we don’t start anything and regret it later.”

Joe put down his fork and stood up. He sat down again on the chair beside Nicky so that he could be close and not have the table between them. They looked at each other for a moment before Joe took Nicky’s hand and squeezed. “I am also not a casual person.” 

When Nicky snorted, Joe laughed. “Oh, I know I proposed marriage to you the moment we met but I assure you that I don't do things lightly either. And honestly, I don’t think we should worry about the details.”

“What do you mean? How can we not. Joe, I’m leaving in three weeks.”

“Then let’s not worry about the labels and the details. I know I like you too, Nicky. Maybe you could say this is fast but it doesn't feel fast to me. Nile, Andy and Quynh have been telling me so many stories about you that I feel like we have known each other for years.”

Biting his lower lip, Nicky still looked uncertain. “So what do you think we should do?”

“Well, it’s your vacation. Let’s have fun. As for what happens after the three weeks…” Joe trailed off and watched the way Nicky’s lips glistened after he had bit them. “We can figure it out then. What do you think?”

Nicky thought about Joe’s suggestion. Just have fun? Not worry about the future and live in the moment?

Suddenly his therapist Carla’s voice interrupted his thoughts of doubt. Her advice of meeting new people and enjoying himself was the first thing that came to him. It sounded… very tempting. Joe was very tempting.

Before he could overanalyze it, Nicky gave in to his impulse and inner desire. He closed the gap between them and kissed him again. Joe gave a low hum of contentment and put his hand behind Nicky’s head to deepen their contact.

They pulled away slowly, both of their cheeks flushed. Nicky grinned against Joe’s mouth.

“I think I can try living in the moment.”

  
  


********************

  
  


Despite what he had told Joe, it all still felt a bit strange for Nicky.

He didn’t take vacations very often so he was already off kilter from that. What did people do with so much time on their hands? He realized that his previous life working at the hospital with its unpredictable hours had skewed some of his ideas about the passage of time. 

But Joe was doing an admirable job of filling in those gaps. Whether it was taking Cooper for long walks with him or sending a regular stream of cute animal gifs in between patients, Joe was the most attentive person he had ever met. The fact that their status was so nebulous both thrilled and worried Nicky. He fluctuated from feeling like a teenager, nervous and excited to downright depressed, knowing that each day brought his departure closer. It made Nicky hesitate, putting up a wall before something Joe inevitably did would melt that barrier away.

They filled their days with trips to cafés, museums, movie nights and all the other stereotypical things that new couples did to get to know each other. It sounded so clichéd but sometimes Nicky wondered if he had stumbled into a romantic comedy movie. 

Even the way the universe seemed to conspire against their intimacy seemed comical. One particularly memorable instance was when they were totally ignoring whatever was on the screen because they were too busy kissing each other. Then Noisette decided that would be a good time to run across Nicky’s back with all of her claws out with Cooper chasing right after her, barking at the top of his lungs. _That_ had been a total mood killer. After laughing together, they ended up just snuggling.

And Joe had not been kidding when he said he was a great snuggler. Feeling those warm arms securely wrap around him, Nicky found himself falling asleep on Joe on more than one occasion. Something about being in Joe’s embrace worked a magic in Nicky’s subconscious brain and stopped the bad dreams. He had also gotten used to Noisette and Cooper competing for space near him when it was bedtime.

With all of the daily activities being with Joe, the first two weeks flew by so quickly that it shocked Nicky. He was already at the halfway point of his vacation. Trying not to think too deeply of it, Nicky reminded himself again to enjoy himself and not overthink it.

  
  


********************

Nicky was surprised at how full the parking lot was.

Joe had informed Nicky that he and his vet tech were volunteering at a local shelter for the day. Everything from exams to other medical needs that patients needed for their pets but could not afford them. It was also tied to an adoption drive to help promote rehoming the animals with their forever families. When Nicky had asked if he could help in any way, Joe’s eyes had lit up. Although he was not trained in any animal care, the shelter always welcomed volunteers.

He ended up finding a parking spot down the street because there was no space. Nicky saw the line of people all waiting patiently to enter the building. Unsure of what to do, Nicky lingered by the entrance until he heard a voice calling his name. 

“Nicky! Over here!”

He turned around and saw Rebecca. Or at least he thought it was Rebecca. She was wearing bright green scrubs and sparkly fairy wings. There was glitter decorating her face and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She motioned to Nicky to follow her and they went around to the side of the building where there was an employee entrance.

“I brought the free help!” She called out, winking at Nicky mischievously. 

The shelter workers waved enthusiastically at seeing him and he was quickly brought up to speed on his responsibilities. They needed help processing people when they arrived. It was mostly a paperwork and greeting job but that suited Nicky just fine since he couldn’t help in any medical capacity with the animals. 

Rebecca got a name tag sticker for Nicky and started decorating it with shiny stickers. She attached it to Nicky’s chest and nodded in satisfaction at her handwork.

“Is there a reason for all the sparkle?” He asked, gesturing to her outfit and his own name tag.

“We tend to get a lot of families and kids on adoption drives. I want to help make it a fun experience so I’m just here to let my inner fairy out.”

“More like a crazed pixie.”

They both turned when they heard the voice cracking jokes. Joe was in his full veterinarian gear and smiling happily. Rebecca stuck her tongue out at him and scowled. 

“Don’t you judge my love of Tinker Bell!”

Joe rolled his eyes in a deliberate and dramatic fashion. “And how many tattoos do you have of her?”

Rebecca pursed her lips and tried to look casual. She wasn’t succeeding. “Five. But two of them are really small!”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Tink.”

Rebecca flipped Joe off, her wings shaking with laughter. She waved bye to Nicky and went back to her station. Joe on the other hand was admiring Nicky’s extremely bedazzled name tag.

“I see Tink got to you before I could rescue you from the pixie dust.”

“Tink?” asked Nicky. 

“Oh, that’s just my nickname for Rebecca. As you can see, she has a deep connection to an animated fairy that might be borderline unhealthy.”

Nicky wagged his finger at Joe. “Don’t you judge her love for that fairy!”

“Oh, I don’t. I just love teasing her.” Joe took Nicky’s hand and brought it to his lips. “I can take you to where your station is.”

Nodding in agreement while hoping his face wasn’t too flushed, Nicky followed Joe to the front reception area. Greetings were exchanged and Nicky was handed a clipboard and some paperwork to handle.

Once the doors were opened, the noise level inside the building rose to a constant buzzing of conversation. It quickly got busy and Nicky made sure to focus on the tasks that he had been given. But he knew that as busy as he had gotten, it couldn’t compare to Joe.

On one of his breaks, Nicky had snuck a quick peek into what Joe was up to. He had been talking to an elderly woman who couldn’t afford the medication and treatment that her cat needed. Joe listened to her patiently while she got emotional over the guilt she felt over it. Nicky marveled at the ease with which Joe was comforting her while also handling the cat. If there was anyone who knew about Joe’s kindness and ability to diffuse anxiety, it was Nicky. He snuck back to his station, feeling a strange satisfaction at seeing how competent and compassionate Joe was as a vet.

The rest of the day flew by. Nicky had lunch with Rebecca and had a great time hearing stories about all of her pets. It turned out she had quite the menagerie of dogs and geckos. She showed him pictures of the adorable lizards (Salem, Jack, and Voorhees) and Nicky told her about all of his misadventures with Cooper and Noisette. But he wasn’t ashamed to admit that his camera roll was already full of their pictures and videos.

After the free clinic and adoption drive was done, Nicky helped everyone clean up and get ready to go home. He finally managed to pop his head into the examination room where Joe was still typing up some notes.

“Ready to go, Joe?”

The vet looked away from the monitor, waving in greeting. "I'm almost done writing these notes. Want to hang out a bit?"

"Sure."

Nicky sat in the chair that was placed beside Joe and watched. He was back typing on the keyboard and Nicky loved the opportunity to just stare at Joe's profile. It also gave him time to think about how much he would miss Joe.

_Stop it. Don't ruin the time you have left by brooding._

Nicky instead thought about all the happy faces of people meeting their new furry family members. Children squealing as they jumped in excitement over their new pet. Seeing people relieved, knowing that Joe and the other staff were providing much needed services for free that they normally couldn’t afford. All in all, it had been a very fulfilling day and Nicky couldn’t remember feeling this good about helping people since the Pisces. 

But all of this interaction with animals brought up a question that Nicky had been wondering for a while. Seeing Rebecca with her personal zoo made Nicky even more obvious that Joe himself did not have an animal companion. 

“Joe?”

“Hmm?” He answered while still typing and staring at the monitor.

“Do you have any pets? It’s just… I realized right now that you have never spoken of having one.”

Joe stopped and looked over at Nicky. His face was a little sad even though there was a small smile.

“I used to foster pets along with my dog. But once she passed away, I haven’t gotten another pet.”

Nicky shook his head, chastising himself. “I’m sorry, Joe. I should have been more sensitive. I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Oh no, no, there was no way you could have known,” soothed Joe. “It’s been almost two years since she died but I just…”

Now it was Joe’s turn to shake his head, lost a bit in memory. “I had Luna since she was a puppy. She was such a scraggly looking thing. Someone had brought her in along with other puppies found abandoned in a park. But she was the best dog I ever had. When she started to get sick… I couldn’t figure it out. No one could.”

Nicky got up and touched Joe gently on his arm. He could tell this had been a painful time for Joe and he was sorry he had brought it up. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s quite alright. Talking about her does make me sad but it also reminds me how happy we were. That dog gave me the best 5 years of her life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I know I will get another pet again someday but… I’m just not ready yet.” Joe took the hand that Nicky had placed on his arm and pulled him closer. “Sometimes I think about all of the good I could be doing, helping another animal, and I feel selfish for being so weak.”

Nicky wrapped his arms around Joe’s waist to bring their bodies in until their chests were touching. “I don’t think that is selfish. Everyone grieves in their own way and their own time. I think it would be worse if you tried to ignore what your heart wanted.”

Joe thought about Nicky waking up screaming and sweating from a nightmare. He thought about how sometimes Nicky’s eyes would dim and drift off in some mysterious thought. Cupping Nicky’s face in his hand and brushing a soft kiss on that beautiful nose, Joe asked, “so are you also grieving in your own way?”

His body tensed momentarily in Joe’s arms before relaxing. Nicky wasn’t surprised that Joe had picked up that something was still wrong with him. He had been polite and had not asked about the nightmare incident but Nicky could always feel his keen eyes glued to him, watching and observing. He took a few deep breaths before answering.

“Yes. I’m also grieving in my own way. I’m just… frustrated because it’s taking longer than I thought it would. To recover, I mean.”

“But you said it yourself, Nicky. Everyone processes things at their own pace. So be kind to yourself. I mean, look at what I am doing. I’m almost two years pet free and probably the only reason I haven’t gotten another dog is I’m scared of feeling that kind of loss again. I’ve had other pets who died… it was just that Luna had been so special. So if I can take this long to heal, you can too. It’s a journey, Nicky… the end goal isn’t always the most important thing.”

Nodding in understanding, Nicky softly kissed Joe and closed his eyes when Joe kissed back. Sighing with contentment, they hugged each other tightly and took comfort in each other’s embrace. 

“Oh wow, you two really need to get a room.”

They turned toward the door and saw Rebecca standing there, grinning from ear to ear. Joe scowled at her, pointing out the obvious. “We are technically in a room.”

Nicky blushed and stepped away, despite Joe’s protests. He was feeling a little mortified that Joe’s colleague had walked in on them. Rebecca on the other hand didn’t seem to actually care. She just enjoyed teasing Joe.

“Don’t talk semantics with me, Doctor al-Kaysani. But if you guys need to get frisky, I’ll leave you two alone.” She winked at them and pointed to the drawers. “Pretty sure there is lube in that second one over there. Have fun!”

Nicky could feel his face flushing hotter at the thought and looked at Joe. The other man was smirking, an eyebrow going up in a suggestive manner.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Joe pouted, his lower lip sticking out in a comical fashion. “You’re no fun.”

“Oh, I’m a lot of fun. Come on, you need to finish your notes.”

Joe sighed and went back to the computer screen. As he finished up his work, one thought kept coming up and making him lose his train of thought. He snuck a sideways glance at Nicky before starting to type again.

 _I wish we could be like this forever._


	5. Chapter 5

“So… what’s going on between you two?”

Nicky almost choked on the iced tea he was drinking. He wiped his mouth on a napkin and looked at Quynh. “What do you mean?”

She leaned back against the lawn chair and lifted her eyebrow at him in a manner that said _you're not fooling anyone_. The sound of her children squealing in the background momentarily distracted her. They were at their favorite park with a huge picnic basket. She snorted in laughter when she saw Tien and Tuan tackle Joe onto his back, screaming in glee as they double teamed him in some mysterious game they had invented. She turned back to Nicky and smiled all-knowingly.

“You are terrible at hiding things, Nicky. And honestly Joe isn’t much better. If his eyes got any sparklier when he looked at you, I think I might need sunglasses.”

Despite his best efforts, Nicky couldn’t help but smile at that assessment. Joe had very expressive eyes and he enjoyed staring at them as much as possible. There were a few times when he had been so distracted just staring that Nicky had lost track of their conversation.

“Well… we’re dating.. I think?”

Quynh gave him that same look again. “You think?”

Rubbing his face with both hands, Nicky sighed loudly. “I don’t know what we are. We decided to enjoy each other’s company and not sweat the details. But I’m going back to Italy at the end of this week and I have no idea what is going to happen after.”

“So this is a fling?”

Nicky was surprised at the extreme knee jerk reaction he felt at that word. Before he could vehemently deny it, he stopped and thought about it. Was this a fling? A summertime romance during vacation that wasn’t meant to be taken seriously?

He looked across the grass and watched Joe playing with the twins. They were all laughing and running around with absolute abandon. Cooper was also barking and chasing them, frantic in his joy to play along. It was a picture of such warmth and love that it squeezed Nicky’s heart so tight it physically hurt. 

“I don’t want it to be a fling.”

Quynh took a sip of her drink and watched the play of emotions going across Nicky’s face. She and Andy had been worried about him ever since he had left the Pisces but they had been careful not to bring it up, as they wanted to give Nicky space to explore his sadness and not pressure him. Seeing him with Joe today was the first time on this trip that Quynh had noticed the tightness in his shoulders loosen and his eyes look less haunted. If Joe was the balm to Nicky’s sadness, Quynh wanted him not to doubt himself.

“I know this past year has been really hard on you,” Quynh started, choosing her words carefully, “and we’ve never pushed you to share anything you didn’t want to. But Nicky, this is the happiest I’ve seen you in years. If Joe is the reason for that, then don’t let it slip away.”

He didn’t know what to say. The last few weeks with Joe had indeed been the happiest he had been in years. None of his previous boyfriends could compare. Even using the word “boyfriend” somehow seemed trite and inadequate. But Nicky didn’t know what to make of their current predicament.

“I’m just not sure what to do. My life is in total chaos and I still don’t know what I will do after this vacation. I told myself that I could just pick up where I left off but I’m not certain if that is possible anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

Nicky fiddled with the paper napkin, his nervousness setting in. He had not told anyone outside of his immediate family and his therapist about the full details of what happened on the Pisces. It’s not that he didn’t trust Nile, Andy and Quynh. Far from it. But the thought of sharing his guilt and burdening them with his grief felt selfish. They had a life too, a beautiful one, and he felt like he would taint that by talking about the shame he felt. Carla had told him this was not true, that his friends would welcome his honesty but Nicky still held back. But he knew he couldn’t keep going on this way.

“What I mean is, I’m not sure if I can work like I used to. I still want to help and do the right thing but… I don’t know if I am capable of it anymore.”

They sat in silence for a moment. It was not an uncomfortable silence with years of friendship between them. Quynh reached over and squeezed Nicky’s hand.

“Nicky. Whatever happened that is making you question yourself, I am not going to say just dismiss it. You are obviously affected by it and there is nothing wrong with taking your time to get back on your feet. But I just want you to know that you are a _phenomenal_ doctor… so kind and devoted.”

Nicky laughed to cover up his urge to cry at Quynh’s gentle words. “Thank you, Quynh.”

“I’m just speaking the truth.” She reached over and gave him a hug around his shoulder. “Okay now that I got you all emotional, you can tell me how you are planning to steal Joe away from my daughter.”

“Huh?” said Nicky incredulously. “From Tien?”

She gave him a withering look of exasperation. “Don’t you know she has Joe wrapped around her little finger? Tien told me that when she grows up, she’s going to marry uncle Joe. So if you’re going to break my daughter’s heart by snatching her dream man, you better be quick about it.”

By this point, Nicky was leaning over in full throated laughter. He was loud enough that Joe looked over to see what was going on. Both of the twins were still attached to his legs as he slowly made his way back to the picnic area. 

“What’s so funny?” Asked Joe.

“You,” said Quynh, pointing at him. “You got some stowaways on your ship.”

“More like barnacles.” Joe growled in a playful manner and pretended to scrap away at his legs to dislodge the children. “Come on, kids! I’m starving and there is so much food!”

At the mention of eating, the children finally let go of Joe and dashed to the picnic blanket. Between Quynh and Nicky cooking for the occasion, they had a veritable feast waiting for them. Tuan was devouring the food while his sister demanded to sit beside Joe so she could eat from his plate. Nicky was reminded again about his new rival for Joe’s attention and couldn’t stop smiling at the adorable pair they made.

The weather was perfect for their picnic and Nicky was thoroughly enjoying himself. He did miss Andy though, but she had been unable to get out of her shift. Instead, Quynh was sending her picture after picture of their hijinks to torture her. Nicky marveled again at how perfectly Andy and Quynh matched each other and thought wistfully if he would ever have such a deep abiding connection. He couldn’t help himself from glancing at Joe at these thoughts and had to look away before his expression gave his musings away.

After they had eaten, Nicky joined Joe in playing with the children. He waved away Quynh’s offer to help. Nicky knew how time consuming it must be working full time jobs and raising children. He encouraged her to sit back and relax while he and Joe watched the kids.

They ran all over the park with Cooper in tow and Nicky was reminded again of the inexhaustible level of energy that small children possessed. The playground was full of other hyperactive kids. They watched the twins run toward the slides and sat on a park bench to catch their breath. Cooper wanted to join them but they had a leash on him. He sulked and whined as he splooted on the grass, his legs sticking out behind him.

“Are those your kids?”

They turned toward an elderly woman sitting on the bench beside them. She also had a dog with her, a small terrier that was sitting on her lap.

“Actually, we are currently babysitting. But it’s good practice for the future, right, darling?” Joe turned to Nicky and winked. 

Nicky was about to explode. The boldness of this man and his willingness to flirt in public was incredible. He snorted in laughter. “I think we are jumping ahead a few steps.”

“What more can I do, my heart? I have already proposed but you leave me waiting. Every day it gets more and more unbearable.”

By this point, Nicky could barely keep a straight face. Joe’s eyes were twinkling in mirth and he wiggled his eyebrows. 

“Oh, my! You still haven’t accepted his proposal?” The lady looked scandalized at this news. “Well, what are you waiting for? If I was 30 years younger, I would snatch up a man like him in a heartbeat!”

Hiding his face now in embarrassment, Nicky looked at Joe between his fingers. The other man was positively glowing at this praise. “I see my number of rivals is increasing,” said Nicky.

“Rivals? You have rivals for my affection?”

“I’m pretty sure Tien will happily push me down a set of stairs so she can continue to monopolize you.”

Joe laughed. They continued their friendly banter with the older woman and watched the children play. After about an hour of play, they came back and said they were thirsty and tired. That was the signal they needed to go back to Quynh and home.

When they returned to the picnic blanket, Quynh was laying down on the blanket with a hat over her face. She was actually asleep. But not for long because both children piled on her simultaneously. With a groan, she looked at her daughter and son with a bemused expression. 

“What? Who are these children? I don’t remember giving birth to such loud monsters who rudely wake their mother up from her nap.”

Joe plopped down beside her and groaned as well. “How do you and Andy do it? They never stop moving.”

“I eat chocolate I’ve hidden from them when they are asleep. Wine at midnight is pretty effective too.”

Joe looked at her, waiting for her to say she was joking, but none came. She grinned and got up to stretch her arms. “Okay, munchkins! It’s time to go home!”

“Awwwwwww!” said Tien and Tuan, simultaneously.

“No awwws! It’s time to go!”

They packed everything up and started ferrying everything to the cars. The work was almost done when Tien realized she had forgotten her hat at the playground. She started crying, insisting that she needed it back. Quynh was trying to defuse the tears when Nicky spoke up.

“I can go and get her hat. I’ll be right back.”

He started lightly jogging back toward the playground to look for the missing item. Somehow there were even more kids with more parents and guardians filling all the park benches. He started walking around the different structures, looking for the sunflower yellow hat.

That was when he heard the scream.

Nicky’s head whipped around to where the sound had come from. Across the grass lawn, he could see the shores of the lake. There was a long bridge that extended into the water so that people could fish or launch their boats. He saw a group of children at the end of the dock, running around in panic. 

He didn’t think. His legs automatically ran across the grass and onto the wooden planks. He heard shouts of distress behind him as other adults realized something was wrong. 

As he got closer, Nicky could see someone was in the water, thrashing and in distress. He was still not at the end of the dock when he saw the small hand disappear under the water.

When he got to the end of the walkway, he dove straight into the water. The cold hit him like a ton of bricks but he ignored it. Swimming back and forth, Nicky frantically tried to find the missing child.

But this was not like swimming in the ocean. The lake was dark and murky and he could barely see what was in front of him. His hands groped in the darkness, hoping he could find the child before it was too late.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw something glinting. He reached for it and grasped a hand that had a sparkly bracelet wrapped around it. Using all of his strength, Nicky kicked with his feet while pulling the child up with him.

When he broke the surface, he gasped and sucked in air into his lungs. He looked at the girl in his arms but she was unconscious and not responding. That actually made his swim back to shore easier but made his heart pound even harder in his chest.

There was a crowd of people at the shore when Nicky got there. He placed the young girl on the sand and immediately started CPR. The woman who must have been the child’s mother was crying, begging for her daughter to be alright. Someone was on their phone, calling 911 and describing what was happening to the emergency operator. 

Nicky was counting in his head as he did compressions. The girl’s face was pale and she was still not responding. The crowd was tense with only the sobbing from her mother breaking the silence.

Finally, with a surge of motion, the girl jerked up and vomited out the water from her lungs. Nicky helped her turn over to cough out the rest of the water. The crowd cheered and the crying mother rushed to her daughter’s side, thanking Nicky over and over.

Exhausted, Nicky sat down on the sand and felt his own body shake from the adrenaline. He could hear the sound of sirens in the distance, heralding the arrival of the ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, he got up to describe the events for additional information. They took the girl and her mom into the vehicle and drove away.

“Nicky!”

He was slow to respond and had barely turned when Joe was crushing him against his chest. His immediate warmth reminded Nicky that he was soaked from head to toe.

“You were taking too long coming back so I came to check on you. What happened?” 

His tongue felt heavy in his mouth. The trembling was beginning to shift into shakes. Nicky looked at Joe, his voice strained and low. “Joe. I want to go home.”

Joe nodded his head, trying not to feel alarmed at how panicked Nicky’s eyes looked. “Okay. Let’s do that and get you cleaned up.”

Holding hands, Joe and Nicky made their way back to the cars. Quynh gasped in surprise at the sight of him. When she tried to inquire, Joe shook his head and said they will call her later with an update. She agreed and watched in apprehension as they drove away in Joe’s car.

Joe kept glancing over at Nicky but the other man was still and staring out the window. Luckily, Joe kept an extra jacket in his trunk just in case and Nicky was wearing it now. His shakes had mostly subsided but he was still not saying a word. 

It didn’t take too long to reach Nile and Booker’s house. On their arrival, Nicky got out of the car and made a beeline for the bathroom. Joe took Cooper out of his car crate and let him inside. He saw Noisette meowing and going back and forth in front of the bathroom. Joe could hear the shower running inside.

Even without Nicky saying anything, Joe figured out what had happened. The sight of the ambulance entering the park worried him and when it went toward the playground, Joe had started running. The sight of Nicky soaking wet and the crowd of people still dispersing was a dead giveaway.

Joe sat on the couch and waited for Nicky to come out. Noisette stopped patrolling the bathroom door and jumped into his lap. Her fluffy tail swished and twitched, her body language showing her agitation. He petted her soft fur to comfort her but also himself. 

After another 15 minutes or so, Joe heard the shower turn off. Soon, the door was opened and he could hear Nicky moving about, most likely going into the guestroom to change. Then Nicky came into the living room, with a towel still slung over his shoulder to catch the wet drips of his hair.

“Nicky. Are you okay?”

Nicky sat beside Joe on the couch and stayed still. His body felt fine but his mind was a maelstrom. He had not been back in the water since the Pisces and his body had just moved on its own. The relief that he was able to save the girl was immense, but now that the adrenaline was gone and he was left to actually _think_ about what had happened, he felt overwhelmed. 

“Nicky?”

Joe touched Nicky’s face. Concern was radiating from him and all Nicky wanted to do was throw himself at the safety of Joe’s warmth. 

So he did.

Nicky grabbed the front of Joe’s shirt and brought their lips together, a surprised sound coming from the other man. The desperation Nicky felt was coursing through his body like a drug, his mind only saying it _needed, wanted, needed and wanted more._ He wrapped his arms around Joe’s neck and thrust his tongue deeply, licking and tasting every corner of Joe’s mouth.

He had been caught slightly off guard by Nicky’s sudden ardor, but Joe recovered quickly and returned the fervent embrace. His arms went around Nicky’s waist and pulled him closer.

But there was something wrong, Joe could feel it. Nicky hadn’t said a word and his movement felt too frantic. He ripped Joe’s shirt open to reveal the skin underneath, his hands touching and exploring every crevice. Joe moaned at how good it felt to finally have Nicky touch him but knew he had to speak up.

“Nicky, you have no idea how much I want you but please, you have to talk to me.”

Nicky instead smashed their lips together and almost sobbed in reply. Joe took Nicky’s face in both hands so he could pull back and look at the other man. His pale eyes were red and filled with tears. He kept reaching for Joe, as though he was drowning and his only salvation was in Joe’s body.

“Please, Nicky. You have to stop and talk to me. Please, tell me what is wrong.”

Full on crying now, Nicky wailed in despair and collapsed into Joe’s arms. His voice breaking, he started to tell Joe everything. The Pisces. The refugee boat capsizing. How he had tried to save the child and his failure to do so. The screaming mother who had cried and cursed him for it. His fear of the water and how he felt like he would never be whole again. That he would never be able to help anyone again.

Joe was stroking Nicky’s hair while he murmured soothing sounds into his ears. Nicky was shaking, as though each word spoken was a piece of poison that was slowly leaving his body. His face was buried into Joe’s chest where he could hear that strong and steady heartbeat. 

Once Nicky was done talking he felt lightheaded, as though he was on top of a very high mountain. His face was red and blotchy from crying, but to Joe it was the most beautiful and endearing one in the world.

“I’m so sorry, Joe. I haven’t had a panic attack in two months. I thought I was over this by now but… being back in the water and having that little girl almost die…”

“Shh… you don’t have to apologize for anything,” said Joe. He pressed a gentle kiss to Nicky’s head and held him even tighter in his arms. “When you told me you had a tough year, I didn’t realize it was this bad. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But Nicky… you do realize what you have done today, right?”

Slowly lifting himself off Joe’s chest, Nicky looked at him, bewildered. “What do you mean?”

“You went through a terrible event and came out hurt. Anyone would have. And even though you are still healing and doubting yourself, you didn’t hesitate to jump into the water to save that girl. You did it, Nicky. You overcame what was holding you back.”

The words that Joe spoke penetrated the fog of Nicky’s mind. He was right. When he had heard the scream, his body had not waited or asked questions. It had run to the source of distress and did everything it needed to do to help a person in trouble. It was everything that Nicky had trained for and he had executed it flawlessly.

For the first time in months, Nicky felt a spark of hope inside his heart. All of his inner turmoil and questions over his ability to be a doctor again started to feel like less of a burden. He laid his head back onto Joe’s chest, loving the smell and warmth of him.

“Thank you so much, Joe. I was scared to tell you all of this.”

“Why would you be scared? You can tell me anything.”

“Because… ” Nicky trailed off. He felt his doubts again before squashing them down. “I convinced myself that the only way I can get over this was to get back to my work as soon as possible. That if I went back to helping my patients, maybe I can somehow atone for my failure.” His arms around Joe tightened even more. “And when I had to talk about it, all of my fears and doubts would come back. I didn’t want you to think less of me.”

“I could never think less of you. You are so brave, Nicky. Most people would never have even gone on that boat.”

Joe started to move his hands up and down Nicky’s back. The movement made Nicky moan with contentment. For a split second, he wondered if this is how all of Joe’s patients felt. The idea of being petted and touched by Joe was incredibly appealing. 

All of Joe’s chest was still bare from when Nicky had ripped open his shirt. Now that his mind was no longer in panic mode, Nicky was shocked at his behavior, face flushing red with embarrassment.

"Joe, I… I'm so sorry. I can't believe I ripped your shirt like this."

Chuckling, Joe looked down at his disheveled self. "I'm not sorry. That was really hot."

Those words did something to Nicky's brain. He reached out and ripped open the rest of the shirt.

Joe stared at his now buttonless top, almost disbelieving what had just happened. As a wide grin flashed those deadly dimples on his cheeks, he marveled at Nicky's action. "Have I told you yet that you're a little shit?"

Grinning back, Nicky replied, "I've been wanting to do that since we caught the bouquet."

Joe pulled Nicky close and kissed that smiling mouth again. This time, everything felt alright. Nicky didn't feel like a desperate man trying to hold on to him for dear life, but Joe had to make sure. 

"Not to be a downer but are you really okay with this, Nicky? I mean, you were having a panic attack and I don't want you to do anything you might regret later."

Nicky was busy licking a trail along Joe's neck and shoulder. He pushed the rest of the shirt off Joe's body and caressed his toned back muscles. "I'm okay, truly. And you are the only thing I want right now." A thought stopped Nicky in his tracks. "Unless… _you_ don't want to?"

Joe's face became very serious. "I have a confession to make. I've been masturbating to thoughts of you since we met. So there is _no way_ that I don't want you."

Nicky grabbed Joe's hand and ran to the guest bedroom. They had come close to tumbling into bed a few times in the last month but something had always foiled them. Whether it was outside forces or Nicky's own insecurities, it had all played a part. But now Nicky was determined not to let anything get in the way.

They both stumbled into the room, all hands and lips on each other. A trail of clothes followed them as they finally made it to the bed. Then Joe started cursing.

"What is it?" Nicky asked.

"I didn't bring anything for this."

Feeling slightly mortified, Nicky pointed to the bedside drawer where Nile had prepared his "supplies." 

"I think there are some condoms and lube in there."

Joe reached over to open the drawer and lo and behold, there was a box of condoms and a bottle of lube. He looked at Nicky in surprise. "It seems you were more prepared than I was."

"Actually… you can thank Nile and Booker for that. Nile was trying to convince me that I needed to get laid."

Grabbing the lube and a few condom packets, Joe was grateful for their intervention. "Huh. Yeah, this is Booker’s favorite brand."

Nicky looked at Joe in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up. "Should I be concerned that you know Booker's favorite condom brand?"

An embarrassed look flashed over Joe. "Back when we were roommates I might have borrowed some of his stash when I ran out."

"Wow, I gotta hear more of your college day stories."

Joe kissed Nicky hard on his mouth. "Another time." 

Joe threw himself into pleasuring Nicky, every gasp like music to his ears. Nicky was moaning and speaking in Italian, his brain having lost the ability to think in English as Joe started sucking his cock. It turned out talking wasn't the only thing Joe could do well.

But as much he loved Joe's mouth on him, Nicky was just as desperate to fill his mouth with Joe. A few maneuvers later, Nicky was on all fours, eagerly taking Joe's pulsing dick into his mouth while moaning his pleasure at Joe's efforts. 

Both hands gripping Nicky’s ass, Joe licked the cock and balls that were bobbing above his face. His fingers flexed, leaving white spots where his hold was placed on the firm flesh. Then he spread the cheeks and tentatively licked the skin near the puckering hole. 

Gasping in surprise, Joe’s cock popped out of Nicky’s mouth when he felt the wet tongue on his hole. He was thoroughly distracted as Joe continued to kiss and lick, those large skillful hands stroking and gripping Nicky’s ass and thighs.

Determined not to be outdone, Nicky placed Joe’s cock back into his mouth and bobbed his head vigorously. He was getting into a good cadence when another sensation derailed him and he was crying out again.

Joe had found the bottle of lube that he had tossed onto the bed. His fingers were covered in slick and he was thrusting his fingers into Nicky's eager hole. He continued to suck and mouth at Nicky’s balls while he placed another finger inside. He knew he had hit the right spot when Nicky moaned, lost in the sensation.

Once Nicky was taking his fingers in easily, Joe gave a playful bite on an irresistibly round cheek to get his attention. “I'm sorry but I think we need to move. Or do you not want me in here?"

After giving one last lick along the thick vein going up Joe's cock, Nicky shifted so he was facing Joe. He grabbed one of the shiny fold squares on the bed and ripped the wrapper off with his teeth. "All in good time."

Nicky's movements were excruciatingly slow as he rolled the condom down Joe's twitching cock. He slathered more of the lube on the encased dick and shifted to hover over Joe's body. Then Nicky pressed down, taking the cock into his ass.

"Fuck! Nicky! You're so goddamn tight!"

It took everything for Joe not to immediately thrust up and start pounding him. He took a few ragged breaths as the beautiful man above him took his sweet time riding him. 

"Joe…" moaned Nicky. "I knew you would fit me so perfectly. This is amazing… ahh…"

Joe gripped Nicky's hips and started moving his own. He was plunging deeper and deeper, every thrust making Nicky shout in pleasure.

Nicky leaned forward to get a better angle and slammed down onto Joe's cock with every motion. He started speaking in Italian again as he bottomed out and all of Joe's cock was inside him. They moved in unison to squeeze out every drop of pleasure.

Both shouting hoarsely, they came, with Nicky’s cum splashing all over Joe's stomach. Nicky collapsed on top of Joe and gasped for breath. After a few moments, he rolled off and surveyed the damage.

"I think I need another shower," observed Nicky. 

Joe laughed and looked at Nicky. "You and me both."

They both smiled at each other like a pair of lovesick idiots. Leaning close again, Joe kissed Nicky's talented mouth. 

The mood was so perfect, filled with their mutual satisfaction. Of course it was then that Nicky's face clouded with a frown.

"What's wrong?" Joe asked.

Nicky hated to ruin the mood but he couldn’t get over his thoughts. "I was just thinking about how I have to leave at the end of the week." He trailed a finger along Joe's collarbone. "I didn't drag you to bed the moment I knew you were interested because I was afraid it was going to be so good and it would make my departure even worse. But Joe… you're not just good. You're perfect for me."

Joe took Nicky's hand and kissed it. "Then don't leave."

Nicky stared at Joe, blinking in confusion. "But I have a return flight."

"Cancel it. Or reschedule. You came in on a visitor's visa, right? That means you can stay for six months without any issues."

The idea of staying longer was incredibly exciting to Nicky. However, it all sounded so quick and impulsive and he said so out loud.

"Do you have anything you have to get back to right away?"

Nicky thought about that. He didn't have an apartment under lease. All of his belongings were in storage and he was unemployed. He had no set obligations of any kind. 

Suddenly the idea of staying longer was beginning to look more plausible, except for one small detail.

"But Booker and Nile are coming back from their vacation. Surely a pair of newlyweds wouldn't want me around."

Joe was smiling at Nicky like he had said something incredibly silly. "Stay with me. I mean, this shouldn't be a problem since I've already proposed. You just need to say yes."

Nicky started laughing so hard he snorted. He looked at Joe, his eyes sparkling with affection. "I think you're getting ahead of yourself again, my love."

"Okay fine then, we can start with sugar daddy and transition to husband later."

Laughing again, Nicky grabbed Joe's face and kissed him. "Is it crazy that I want to agree to this plan?" He pressed another kiss to his mouth, this time more tender. "Is it crazy that I'm in love with you?"

Joe shook his head, this time it was his turn to cry a little. "It's not crazy because I feel the same way. I did the moment our eyes met."

"You're an incurable romantic."

Gathering Nicky into his arms, Joe sighed with perfectly infused happiness. 

"Only for you, my love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to write Nicky as a doctor for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders because of the speech that Luca Marinelli gave at Venice after winning his Volpi Cup for Best Actor. 
> 
> [Here is part 1 of his speech.](https://twitter.com/Pochiperpe/status/1336692051728076801?s=19)
> 
> [Here is part 2.](https://twitter.com/Pochiperpe/status/1336692411624529920?s=19) Thank you for the translations, Anna Rita!!! 
> 
> He used his moment in the spotlight to address the migrant crisis and thank the rescue workers. When I first saw the video, I didn't fully realize the ramification of his speech. The politics at the time were complicated and he was openly expressing something that was considered unfortunately, controversial. Many thanks to my Italian TOG friends who helped explain the complexities. 
> 
> I was sweating bullets when I wrote this because I didn't want to make light of a terrible crisis that is very real and still ongoing. If I have written anything that is offensive or incorrect, please let me know and I will happily revise it. This was my first time participating in a Big Bang and I learned a lot. 
> 
> Once again, shout out to all of my friends who are invaluable to me. Thanks Lolo for putting up with my insanity at crazy hours while I wrote this. Tini and Tink, I hope you enjoyed your alter egos. 
> 
> I must admit making Cooper a corgi was totally self-indulgent of me...because I have a corgi. If anyone was confused by the mention of Cooper splooting, please go google "sploot" and drown in the cuteness of corgis in awesome poses. 
> 
> I have some thoughts about a sequel (*cough* because I ran out of time to write another chapter *cough*) but please don't count on it yet lolol! All I know is that Noisette is a Fucking Mastermind and she is to blame for all of this. 
> 
> You can find me at [my Tumblr page](https://kiaya.tumblr.com/). Thank you for reading!!


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